[aprssig] Carry Ons

[K7FTP]

It's interesting to hear about all of this.  

I flew from PDX to SLC back in 2000 carrying an Icom AH-4 tuner that I bought at the SEA-PAC Hamfest.  It won't do anything without being connected to an Icom radio.  I only had a carry-on bag.  This was back before 9-11.  

The airport security folks got really concerned about this obviously professionally manufactured unit that I could not demostrate for them - even after I showed them my ham license.  Being a firearms instructor, I knew to ask for the Ground Security Coordinator.  (Remember this, they can step in and get people to engage their working brain cells).  

I produced my Amateur Radio Operator license, and showed them the documentation in the box with it that showed that it went with another piece of gear.  

They told the front line folks, "Look, he has a Federal license, and the box is legit."  Turned to me, "Have a nice flight".  No further problems.  

I have also travelled with butt-in test sets and other tools of the trade relating to telecommunications.  When asked if I could prove that it worked, I pulled out a screwdriver and offered to take the wall jack behind them apart.  They declined and I carried the whole kit on board - including the screwdriver and the test set.  

In all honesty, airline security is "harassment security".  It is designed to make the public feel safe so that they keep spending their money on flying, and to catch the mentally unbalanced that decide to do something on the spur of the moment.  It is not designed to do anything more, but it creates real problems for American Citizens that travel legitimately with otherwise harmless items.  

How many people were using cell phones on those flights that hit the WTC?  They navigated to it just fine.  But they have all of those phones built into those seats that they need to pay for, I understand that.  

I'm at CES right now, and I'm wondering how security at McCarran is going to handle all of the trinkets and baubles...

  




  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: w2kb at comcast.net 
  To: 'TAPR APRS Mailing List' 
  Cc: Alan P. Biddle 
  Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 3:19 PM
  Subject: Re: [aprssig] TSA regs on GPS?


  Last year I left my Cessna 177B Cardinal tied down at Jefferson City, MO airport when it became apparant that the weather would be bad for at least a week and I had to get back to work in NJ.  Rented a car and drove home using the portable Garmin 396 GPS from the plane in the auto mode.  A couple weeks later I flew Continental from Newark to St. Louis, MO to fly back the Cardinal and had the GPS, charts, etc. as carryon.  Upon perusing the Continental magazine after getting on the plane, I noted that a GPS is now a specifically permitted electronic device above 10,000 feet.  So when the captain announced laptops, etc. OK I turned it on.  It was cool to see my Continental flight within a few miles of the breadcrumb trail from my Cardinal flight west a few weeks earlier.  On of the flight attendants even came over now and then to watch its display.  <g>

  So no regulations against GPS use, it's entirely at the discretion of the airline.

  73,  Ken W2KB

    -------------- Original message -------------- 
    From: "Alan P. Biddle" <APBIDDLE at UNITED.NET> 

    > Hi, 
    > 
    > A bit off topic, but I suspect many here travel with a regular GPS. I 
    > checked the TSA and AA web site, but could not find anything, one way or 
    > another, concerning transporting a GPS and bean bag mount in carry on bags. 
    > Any experience, or definitive reference? 
    > 
    > Alan 
    > WA4SCA 
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > _______________________________________________ 
    > aprssig mailing list 
    > aprssig at lists.tapr.org 
    > https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  aprssig mailing list
  aprssig at lists.tapr.org
  https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.tapr.org/pipermail/aprssig_lists.tapr.org/attachments/20080106/63417576/attachment.html>