Rigs on commercial flights

I dropped the Mrs off at Heathrow yesterday - and as I'm going abroad with
my rig (next week) I asked about taking them as hand luggage. As long as
they fit into the hand luggage widget that they have at Heathrow (56x45x25
cms) you can take them.
The exception being the ones with exploding devices in them (sic) - I
explained that I had a german device called a cypres that worked on air
pressure and he said that it would be fine then. I did ask him why he
thought that anyone would want something that exploded to make a parachute
come out - and he did agree that it was very strange and that he couldn't
see how it would work.

The worst that can happen is that you have to go back and check it as hold
baggage. Personally I'm going to tuck the visible bit out of sight and carry
it through the scanner. I just thought that I'd pass that on.

Happy hunting people.

--
Mick Cooper

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and
run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying."

Mick Cooper wrote:

> The exception being the ones with exploding devices in them (sic) - I
> explained that I had a german device called a cypres that worked on air
> pressure and he said that it would be fine then.

Actually, the Cypres *does* use a very small explosive (propellant)
charge to blast the cutter piston through your reserve closing loop. See
page 6 of the Cypress User's Guide,

http://www.cypres-usa.com/english_users.pdf

That being said, the amount of propellant is so small that airlines
don't care - at least American ones.

Cypres issues a little wallet card that shows what the innards of the
thing look like on an X-ray scanner so that the inspector does not freak
out at the batteries and cutter assembly lurking in your container. You
show it to the inspector when they are checking your rig.

I have taken my rig on airlines here in the States, but not on
international flights.

Kevin

Far too many people bandy around the "explosive" word. Sometimes I
think they even enjoy it. Say a word like that to airport staff and
alarm bells will ring.

These days I would add "cutter" to the list of words not to mention.

But you don't need to worry Mick. Your rig is so tiny you can put it in
a rucksack and no-one need ever know.

You should try taking a weight belt through airport security. Much more
trouble than a rig.

Ivan

Mick Cooper wrote:
> I dropped the Mrs off at Heathrow yesterday - and as I'm going abroad with
> my rig (next week) I asked about taking them as hand luggage. As long as
> they fit into the hand luggage widget that they have at Heathrow (56x45x25
> cms) you can take them.
> The exception being the ones with exploding devices in them (sic) - I
> explained that I had a german device called a cypres that worked on air
> pressure and he said that it would be fine then. I did ask him why he
> thought that anyone would want something that exploded to make a parachute
> come out - and he did agree that it was very strange and that he couldn't
> see how it would work.
>
> The worst that can happen is that you have to go back and check it as hold
> baggage. Personally I'm going to tuck the visible bit out of sight and carry
> it through the scanner. I just thought that I'd pass that on.
>
> Happy hunting people.
>

"Eric Hall" <triATthlonDOTfreeserveDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
news:457ee36d$0$15446$88260bb3@free.teranews.com.. .
>I am organising a trip to Kolomna next year and in my attempt to make sure
>i'd covered all avenues, when asking the airline about a sports equipment
>allowance, eventually came clean about us all having cypres fitted to our
>kit. Alarm bells started sounding and I was told i'd have to wait while our
>situation was discussed further. I sent them the address of Airtec, and
>also faxed a copy of the letter from the Transportation Security Agency. 1
>week later I received a phone call saying that all was OK, that there'd be
>no problems with our kit going onboard (in the hold) and we would also be
>given a 10kg /person extra luggage allowance free of charge.
>
> We are flying with SN Brussels Airlines £237 return
> Newcastle/Moscow.
>
> brilliant :-)
>

Whilst I would applaud your honesty Eric - your actions in highlighting all
of this are simply adding petrol to the fires of hysteria. If you are happy
to put your rig in the hold - there really is no need to start alarm bells
ringing, you are not likely to get a full colon search as a potential mass
murderer for placing your gear in the hold. Perhaps in future you might like
to simply keep quiet about the situation, I for one can see the day that
exasperated airlines simply take the decision not to allow the transit of
skydiving equipment - simply because it has a cypres in it.

"Ivan Peters" <ivan@no.spam.com> wrote in message
news:v8h354-gll.ln1@news.compass.net.nz...
> Far too many people bandy around the "explosive" word. Sometimes I think
> they even enjoy it. Say a word like that to airport staff and alarm bells
> will ring.
>
> These days I would add "cutter" to the list of words not to mention.
>
> But you don't need to worry Mick. Your rig is so tiny you can put it in a
> rucksack and no-one need ever know.
>
> You should try taking a weight belt through airport security. Much more
> trouble than a rig.
>
> Ivan
>

That really is the nub of the matter Ivan - if it fits into the sizing frame
that is now provided, it can go forward to go through the baggage scanner as
carry on luggage. My decision to take it in the cabin is based around my
desire not to have the thing end up in Caracas when my intended destination
is Eloy. Being without your rig on a jumping holiday is a little more
limiting than being without your underwear.

I have had my rig electronically "sniffed" in the past and it does not set
off any alarm bells.

Hence my assertion that I have a device which is activated by air pressure -
which I believe is technically the truth.

Mick Cooper wrote:
> "Eric Hall" <triATthlonDOTfreeserveDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
> news:457ee36d$0$15446$88260bb3@free.teranews.com.. .
>> I am organising a trip to Kolomna next year and in my attempt to make sure
>> i'd covered all avenues, when asking the airline about a sports equipment
>> allowance, eventually came clean about us all having cypres fitted to our
>> kit. Alarm bells started sounding and I was told i'd have to wait while our
>> situation was discussed further. I sent them the address of Airtec, and
>> also faxed a copy of the letter from the Transportation Security Agency. 1
>> week later I received a phone call saying that all was OK, that there'd be
>> no problems with our kit going onboard (in the hold) and we would also be
>> given a 10kg /person extra luggage allowance free of charge.
>>
>> We are flying with SN Brussels Airlines £237 return
>> Newcastle/Moscow.
>>
>> brilliant :-)
>>
>
> Whilst I would applaud your honesty Eric - your actions in highlighting all
> of this are simply adding petrol to the fires of hysteria. If you are happy
> to put your rig in the hold - there really is no need to start alarm bells
> ringing, you are not likely to get a full colon search as a potential mass
> murderer for placing your gear in the hold. Perhaps in future you might like
> to simply keep quiet about the situation, I for one can see the day that
> exasperated airlines simply take the decision not to allow the transit of
> skydiving equipment - simply because it has a cypres in it.
>
>

I fall back on my military training - "never volunteer information",
when it comes to the TSA or the baggage check in people and my rig.

The major airlines typically have instructions for their employees on
the handling of parachutes as carry on and checked baggage.

You might consider insurance for your rig if you do check it. The last
time I took my rig on a trip, it was pretty expensive and did not cover
the full replacement price of the thing. Better than the couple hundred
USD I'd get if they shredded it.

As for the explosives comment, I did say in parenthesis that it is
actually propellant.

Air operated? Like Dynamite, that makes very large quantities of hot
nitrogen in a few microseconds? Nitrogen is the major component of air,
so I guess there is a grain of truth there :-)

Kevin

"Kevin McCoy" <nospam@idk-inc.com> wrote in message
news:dMedncNFUKgJDR3YnZ2dnUVZ_v-tnZ2d@netlojix.com...
> Mick Cooper wrote:
>
> Air operated? Like Dynamite, that makes very large quantities of hot
> nitrogen in a few microseconds? Nitrogen is the major component of air, so
> I guess there is a grain of truth there :-)
>
> Kevin

air pressure Kevin.

the device compares the rate of change of pressure to make the decision to
activate the cutter.

	#1
Mick Cooper	Rigs on commercial flights I dropped the Mrs off at Heathrow yesterday - and as I'm going abroad with my rig (next week) I asked about taking them as hand luggage. As long as they fit into the hand luggage widget that they have at Heathrow (56x45x25 cms) you can take them. The exception being the ones with exploding devices in them (sic) - I explained that I had a german device called a cypres that worked on air pressure and he said that it would be fine then. I did ask him why he thought that anyone would want something that exploded to make a parachute come out - and he did agree that it was very strange and that he couldn't see how it would work. The worst that can happen is that you have to go back and check it as hold baggage. Personally I'm going to tuck the visible bit out of sight and carry it through the scanner. I just thought that I'd pass that on. Happy hunting people. -- Mick Cooper "He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying."

	#2
Kevin McCoy	Re: Rigs on commercial flights Mick Cooper wrote: > The exception being the ones with exploding devices in them (sic) - I > explained that I had a german device called a cypres that worked on air > pressure and he said that it would be fine then. Actually, the Cypres does use a very small explosive (propellant) charge to blast the cutter piston through your reserve closing loop. See page 6 of the Cypress User's Guide, http://www.cypres-usa.com/english_users.pdf That being said, the amount of propellant is so small that airlines don't care - at least American ones. Cypres issues a little wallet card that shows what the innards of the thing look like on an X-ray scanner so that the inspector does not freak out at the batteries and cutter assembly lurking in your container. You show it to the inspector when they are checking your rig. I have taken my rig on airlines here in the States, but not on international flights. Kevin

	#3
Ivan Peters	Re: Rigs on commercial flights Far too many people bandy around the "explosive" word. Sometimes I think they even enjoy it. Say a word like that to airport staff and alarm bells will ring. These days I would add "cutter" to the list of words not to mention. But you don't need to worry Mick. Your rig is so tiny you can put it in a rucksack and no-one need ever know. You should try taking a weight belt through airport security. Much more trouble than a rig. Ivan Mick Cooper wrote: > I dropped the Mrs off at Heathrow yesterday - and as I'm going abroad with > my rig (next week) I asked about taking them as hand luggage. As long as > they fit into the hand luggage widget that they have at Heathrow (56x45x25 > cms) you can take them. > The exception being the ones with exploding devices in them (sic) - I > explained that I had a german device called a cypres that worked on air > pressure and he said that it would be fine then. I did ask him why he > thought that anyone would want something that exploded to make a parachute > come out - and he did agree that it was very strange and that he couldn't > see how it would work. > > The worst that can happen is that you have to go back and check it as hold > baggage. Personally I'm going to tuck the visible bit out of sight and carry > it through the scanner. I just thought that I'd pass that on. > > Happy hunting people. >

	#4
Mick Cooper	Re: Rigs on commercial flights "Eric Hall" <triATthlonDOTfreeserveDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message news:457ee36d$0$15446$88260bb3@free.teranews.com.. . >I am organising a trip to Kolomna next year and in my attempt to make sure >i'd covered all avenues, when asking the airline about a sports equipment >allowance, eventually came clean about us all having cypres fitted to our >kit. Alarm bells started sounding and I was told i'd have to wait while our >situation was discussed further. I sent them the address of Airtec, and >also faxed a copy of the letter from the Transportation Security Agency. 1 >week later I received a phone call saying that all was OK, that there'd be >no problems with our kit going onboard (in the hold) and we would also be >given a 10kg /person extra luggage allowance free of charge. > > We are flying with SN Brussels Airlines £237 return > Newcastle/Moscow. > > brilliant :-) > Whilst I would applaud your honesty Eric - your actions in highlighting all of this are simply adding petrol to the fires of hysteria. If you are happy to put your rig in the hold - there really is no need to start alarm bells ringing, you are not likely to get a full colon search as a potential mass murderer for placing your gear in the hold. Perhaps in future you might like to simply keep quiet about the situation, I for one can see the day that exasperated airlines simply take the decision not to allow the transit of skydiving equipment - simply because it has a cypres in it.

	#5
Mick Cooper	Re: Rigs on commercial flights "Ivan Peters" <ivan@no.spam.com> wrote in message news:v8h354-gll.ln1@news.compass.net.nz... > Far too many people bandy around the "explosive" word. Sometimes I think > they even enjoy it. Say a word like that to airport staff and alarm bells > will ring. > > These days I would add "cutter" to the list of words not to mention. > > But you don't need to worry Mick. Your rig is so tiny you can put it in a > rucksack and no-one need ever know. > > You should try taking a weight belt through airport security. Much more > trouble than a rig. > > Ivan > That really is the nub of the matter Ivan - if it fits into the sizing frame that is now provided, it can go forward to go through the baggage scanner as carry on luggage. My decision to take it in the cabin is based around my desire not to have the thing end up in Caracas when my intended destination is Eloy. Being without your rig on a jumping holiday is a little more limiting than being without your underwear. I have had my rig electronically "sniffed" in the past and it does not set off any alarm bells. Hence my assertion that I have a device which is activated by air pressure - which I believe is technically the truth.

	#7
Mick Cooper	Re: Rigs on commercial flights "Kevin McCoy" <nospam@idk-inc.com> wrote in message news:dMedncNFUKgJDR3YnZ2dnUVZ_v-tnZ2d@netlojix.com... > Mick Cooper wrote: > > Air operated? Like Dynamite, that makes very large quantities of hot > nitrogen in a few microseconds? Nitrogen is the major component of air, so > I guess there is a grain of truth there :-) > > Kevin air pressure Kevin. the device compares the rate of change of pressure to make the decision to activate the cutter.