Flying with gear today !!!
rwhiteh
Now that we are under the new screening mandates, that say every
checked bag has to be screened with the sniffing machines and hand
inspected if there is a question, how are you going to handle this? In
other words, what if any process are you going through when you travel
with checked gear?
I fly out of Tampa. And we are now at the mandate where every bag has
to be inspected. They are doing this next to each checkin counter.
After you check in at the airline counter, you take your bags and
cases to the cue and leave them UNLOCKED for the machine to xray and
sniff the cases. They tell you to go ahead and get on the plane. I've
not flown with gear since just before the machines went into operation
in December (I flew to Miami for NFL Films the day before they went
online) but I will NOT leave my cases of expensive gear unlocked, out
of my site. They are supposed to put heavy duty cable ties around the
cases after inspection as if that will keep sticky fingers out of
them. I normally lock cases, and suitcases filled with stuff, put a
heavy locking strap around them, and then put lots of gaff tape over
all the locks. Sure, it won't keep persistant hands from getting in,
but it is so difficult to do so quickly, that the casual pilferrer
won't take the chance.
Tampa will at the moment allow you to stand with your bag as it is
being inspected but this will change when the machines are moved down
below to the luggage area. What can we do to protect ourselves and our
gear? Is there a strategy to use that will work to keep our stuff safe
and not tick the security people off? I was going to call the Tampa
Airport security office and volunteer to pack my cases and bags and
bring them out there to help train their folks in how to handle crews
and their gear. Don't know if it will do any good but I also wanted to
use it as education for them to show them why we may act the way we
will if they attempt to separate us from our open bags.
What are everyone's thoughts on this and what ideas do you have to
make this process go as well as possible? Who's traveled since
December 31st and what did you encounter?
Peace,
Rob W.
www.sounddude.com
*
Thom Shafer
Ireland and pretty much what I do is secure my cases with cable ties with
extra ties taped to the cases so that the security folks can secure them
when they are through.
They WILL CUT your locks if you have them pad locked.
Even if you are standing there they will not let you repack your own cases
but you need to make them aware of the fact that your equipment is expensive
and delicate and not worry about upsetting them. By that I mean conduct
yourself calmly and professionally but make no bones about the fact that you
expect them to do the same.
I also take digital stills of all my cases and their contents while standing
at the counter. Actually make quite the production of it. :)
There are no good answers at the moment.
Thom Shafer
http://www.televisionsound.com
"rwhiteh" <rwhi...@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
news:ukmm1vk342qi27fe0...@4ax.com...
Jon Tatooles
http://bssc.sel.sony.com/Professional/info/BPL90.html
Jon Tatooles
Sound Devices, LLC
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Eric Toline
carry case with a builtin low power battery which has enough power to
turn on the camera for security to check that the camera really works.
www.petrolbags.com
Eric
jimgsound
canons were enacted.
Roundtrip - OKCity/thru Dallas/ABQ.
Overall not a bad experience regarding the baggage and/or carry- on.
I flew American Airlines. With AA I knew there was no way to get
around the excess baggage charges ( unlike Southwest) so I went to the
counter instead of curbside.
On the outgoing flight (departing ABQ):
I politely informed the ticket agent that I wanted the media rate for
excess baggage and that I would like to padlock my cases shut after
inspection. The ticket agent for American obliged and in this case
simply walked into the baggage room behind the counter and placed my
locks on the cases. She informed me that the inspectors had to look in
one of the cases.
At OKCity I was not so lucky with the request for the placement of the
locks. I then had to put nylon ties on the cases as a way to get some
type of reference for wether they had been opened. I watched them
disappear 'behind the door'. When I saw them again (being put on the
conveyor belt into the belly of my bird) I noticed that they had not
been opened.
I had repacked them a little differently on the return trip - so the
xray/CT might have struck the inspector differently(?)
I included ties placed inside the cases with a note explaining that I
would like the cases secured again after inspection. Next time I will
include the padlocks as well as the ties. I usually carry my digisnap
and will take the advice to take some snaps there in the terminal for
all to witness.
IMHO - I think they might also be keeping a more keen eye on the
overall baggage operations nowadays - so pilfering and general mayhem
with the cases will be reduced.
Jim Gallup
www.newmexicosoundrecordist.com ( recently updated with new photos)
Me
professionals. See:
http://www.aa.com/content/customerService/baggage/baggageAllowance.jhtml
Audio/Visual Equipment
Camera, film, lighting, and sound equipment (up to a maximum of 115 in/292
cm and 100 lbs/45 kgs) will be charged an excess rate of $50.00 per piece
when tendered by representatives of network or local television broadcasting
companies, commercial film-making companies, the federal government,
Department of Defense or the American Society of Media Photographers.
Sheila
www.thereelworkshops.com
======================================
"jimgsound" <jimg...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:3e7e80e7.03010...@posting.google.com...
WINZTON
and check you at the magnetometer) is that most of them are very new and
insecure in their positions. After doing some training with them, my
recommendation to anyone dealing with them for securing your gear in flight is
to be respectful and deferential. If you are not getting the results you would
like (like properly secured equipment) REQUEST to see a supervisor. Keep the
tone friendly and non-confrontational. Don't make it personal. They have all
the power, but no experience. If you become agitated with their lack of
co-operation they will shut down and YOU will be the bad guy - for holding up
the line, for "causing trouble."
I am not suggesting that you let your gear go unsecured, but that you attempt
to work WITH them to get what you want.
I recently flew out of LAX with 13 cases and it was almost a nightmare. If you
want specifics email me. But let me just suggest that cool heads and a
friendly demeanor kept us from shutting down the terminal.
One specific thing to pass along from the training: don't let anyone get near
your equipment cases with hairspray. I don't know why, but it tests as an
explosive when they swab the case.
Its a weird new world
- Winston
www.winstonsound.com
win...@spamaol.com
john gooch
I flew from MIami to Philadelphia via Detroit on Northwest Air,
needless to say that i did not make my own travel arrangements. At
the curbside i asked very politely that i was concerned that my
pelican case( this was an experiment so i checked only one case) was
going to be opened. The skycap said that checking in with him was
better and gave me better chance that my gear would not be opened. He
ran my ticket and generated the baggage tickets and informed me that
my bag would not be checked i and i had nothing to worry about. I was
very
skeptical.
My pelican case arrived in Philadelphia without being opened and the
Zip ties that used to secure the case were still intact. GREAT! NO!
This is not how it is supposed to work! In hindsight, I would rather
have my case checked and resecured by myself, regardless of the
hassle! This was too easy!
I am not suggesting that i found a usable shortcut! I was just very
surprised and felt that it was important to share my findings.
john gooch
BrunoSound
American. Our cases were sniffed at NW Arkansas, and other than the American
agent not understanding what media rate was, it was fairly painless. Some of
our cases were opened at O'Hare and had a note inside saying they had been
opened for inspection. Everything showed up, job went well, and even hand
checking shot Beta SP tape was a non-issue.
All in a ll a good experience.
Bruno
Bruno Strapko CAS
Strapko Recorders
Schaumburg IL
shooter
> I just came back from a quick O'Hare to NW Arkansas Regional and back on
> American. Our cases were sniffed at NW Arkansas, and other than the American
> agent not understanding what media rate was, it was fairly painless. Some of
> our cases were opened at O'Hare and had a note inside saying they had been
> opened for inspection. Everything showed up, job went well, and even hand
> checking shot Beta SP tape was a non-issue.
>
> All in a ll a good experience.
>
Just flew from Detroit to LA and back. I too checked at the curb and
thought I might have beat the inspection. Wrong. One of my cases was
opened and inspected. It had an inspection note inside. They replaced
the gaffer tape on the latches. Slightly discheveled inside but no big
deal. At LA, all cases were opened and inspected. It was done where I
could watch from about 20' away and the TSA front man said I could
request locks be applied after the inspection.
Another change: baggage has gone from 70 Lbs. to 50 Lbs.! 50 to 70
Lbs. is an extra $25. Up to 100 Lbs. is an extra $50. Excess bags can
be 70 Lbs.
Wolf
Paris to LAX in August. Someone cut the cable ties went through the
whole case and stole a digital still camera ( the rest were clothes).
The case arrived a day late and was delivered to me by Air France. Air
France would not replace the 400 $ camera but would have replaced a $
600 leather jacket. None was concerned with the security aspect. ( is it
easier to place something in a case than to steal and carry it out of a
"secure" zone?????)
Also I have heard from some friends who regularly travel with equipment
that there seems to be a blacklist of people who get checked more than
others. It just shows up on the computer even at the curbside check in
at LAX. none knows who keeps the list and how to get on/off it it just
exists.
w
Frank Kruse
cases etc. I read that at frankfurt airport they had doubble the x-ray
machines...
maybe you should ask for a hard-copy of your case to prove what was in your
case before you handed it over to the airline ;-)
frank.
on 20.01.2003 12:15 Uhr in 3E2BDC10...@attbi.com Wolf
wolfv...@attbi.com wrote :
--
Frank Kruse
Sound for Motion Picture
fr...@wildtrax.de
www.wildtrax.de
PGP-Key Available
LucyMucy
professional" excess baggage rate, explaining that American & Delta have
this for film/video production crews. They said that they don't have
anything like this special rate. In fact, they said that they charge
$100/piece.
Does anyone else know of airlines which has these discounts?
Thanks!
"Me" <ple...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:5oNT9.3901$Dq.4...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
Scott D. Smith
> wolfv...@attbi.com wrote :
>
> > I shipped my large pelican secured with cable ties from Germany via
> > Paris to LAX in August. Someone cut the cable ties went through the
> > whole case and stole a digital still camera ( the rest were clothes).
> > The case arrived a day late and was delivered to me by Air France. Air
> > France would not replace the 400 $ camera but would have replaced a $
> > 600 leather jacket. None was concerned with the security aspect. ( is it
> > easier to place something in a case than to steal and carry it out of a
> > "secure" zone?????)
> >
> > Also I have heard from some friends who regularly travel with equipment
> > that there seems to be a blacklist of people who get checked more than
> > others. It just shows up on the computer even at the curbside check in
> > at LAX. none knows who keeps the list and how to get on/off it it just
> > exists.
> > w
> >
I had a similar experience going into Brazil last year(when a dat
recorder disappeared). Fortunately, all the equipment was insured
under the production company, and I was able to have another unit
shipped from our studio in time for production.
In recent overseas travel to Ireland, I included a laminated list of
all equipment contained in each case, along with a photo taken at the
time of packing. While nothing can stop someone from lifting something
from a case during inspection, it does probably give them pause to see
the documentation. I have had pretty good success flying out of O'Hare
with inspection requests. I do have to check in at the counter, and
request to have the inspection conducted in my presence. Most of the
airlines have been willing to go along with this, depending on what
the workload is at the time.
I'm interested about this "blacklist" at LAX, though.
Scott D. Smith
Thom Shafer
on how polite and cooperative the security folks where on both legs of the
trip.
We had a few slips informing us of the searches but everything was repacked
extremely well. In fact, without the slips we never would have known that
any cases where opened.
My biggest problem with this whole scenario is that I am supposed to claim a
case and walk it through customs after somebody I don't know has been in my
case. Perhaps I'm cynical but I view this as a problem. In Europe they
have always paged me to the gate if they felt the need to open a case and I
would be there to witness and explain what the contents are. Missing out on
my last duty free shopping opportunities!
All in all I have no complaints.
Thom Shafer
http://www.televisionsound.com