Airline hassles, was Re: [amsat-bb] Hand-carry Arrow antenna?

[Bruce Bostwick <lihan161051@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

How frequent an issue is this?  Can't remember if I've asked that 
question here before, vaguely recalling that I might have, but don't 
recall what the majority opinion was if there was one.

In this post-9/11 world, how often do those of you who travel by air 
frequently run into this sort of thing?  I tend to err on the side of 
caution and leave at home or carry in checked baggage anything that 
might be misinterpreted by an overzealous security screener, but in the 
past (admittedly pre-9/11) all I've had to do was show the screeners 
that the radio did in fact turn on  and show them my ham license to 
prove that I had a legitimate reason to be carrying it.  About the only 
*legitimate* post-9/11 concern I would expect to encounter would be 
that I might transmit while on board the plane, something I'm well 
aware is against FAA regs and I'm fully prepared to reassure them I 
have no intentions of doing so, but what worries me is what happens 
when people who don't understand what they're seeing get paranoid and 
overreact to imagined threats, possibly confiscating and/or 
damaging/destroying equipment I'm not really in a position to be able 
to replace right now.  I'm also concerned about inconsistencies in the 
system that might allow me to get halfway across the country with gear 
I can't take back with me, because it's allowed into the system at one 
point but kicked out at the other.

I don't like checking my radios -- I've seen too much footage of 
baggage handlers looking through checked baggage for jewelry, 
valuables, etc. and I'm sure my HT probably looks just fenceable enough 
to not make it to my destination with me in that sort of situation.  
About the only other option would seem to be a concerted effort at 
education, so at least we have some chance of coming across a ham-savvy 
screener that understands we're legally entitled to carry 
communications equipment we worked hard to get licensed to operate, and 
appreciates how disinterested any of us would be in doing anything to 
jeopardize our tickets ..

On Monday, Nov 4, 2002, at 15:59 US/Central, Mikek wrote:

> Yep, its amazing what can go through and what would not.
> I tend to have problems with my Icom micro ht that has a rubber duck
> antenna longer than twice the length of the HT.  Guess it does not
> look safe under xray.  One annoying instance was when I was travelling
> back to the US from Canada, after I went through the customs 
> checkpoint,
> I was told at xray that my HT WAS NOT ALLOWED and I would have to go
> back and check it as luggage.  You can imagine what fun it was to
> walk back through the customs line in the opposite direction of
> everyone else, back to the ticket counter, check the radio, then
> walk back through customs to the xray.  Luckily, the customs guy
> recognized me and let me through.  Grrr....
>
> 73 de Mike
> AA9IL

"Oh yeah? Well, I speak LOOOOOOOUD, and I carry a BEEEEEEEger stick -- 
and I use it too!"  **whop!**   -- Yosemite Sam

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