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Flying With Magnetic Bases?

Halcohead

Stainless
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Location
Bay Area, Ca
Have any of y'all tried to take a Noga mag base and/or an indicol through airport security? Did TSA give you any trouble? I need to fly with some measuring tools/indicators and strongly prefer not to deal with checked baggage.
 
Have any of y'all tried to take a Noga mag base and/or an indicol through airport security? Did TSA give you any trouble? I need to fly with some measuring tools/indicators and strongly prefer not to deal with checked baggage.

Fed Ex them or you need to check them. They won't let tools on in your carry on bag. They will be happy to have you throw them in the trash at security though.
 
That is not quite true, read up on the TSA rules, there are size limits etc. I think it is 6 inches or something like that. Dial indicators shouldn't a problem. It is more things like screw drivers, wrenches and hammers that will attract attention. If it is a large stand that could be an issue but see what the rules actually say.

Sent from my XT1072 using Tapatalk
 
That is not quite true, read up on the TSA rules, there are size limits etc. I think it is 6 inches or something like that. Dial indicators shouldn't a problem. It is more things like screw drivers, wrenches and hammers that will attract attention. If it is a large stand that could be an issue but see what the rules actually say.

Sent from my XT1072 using Tapatalk

The rules are whatever the thousands standing around, (TSA) arbitrarily decides at the time. They would not let me carry on a 6" rule and a 4" digital caliper. So go ahead and try to carry it on, but be ready for them to say no. BTW, if they say no their is no arguing with them. They will arrest you in a heartbeat.
 
A mag base could be used as a weapon as seen from a security pov. A 6" rule and a caliper could be used for stabbing. What's next, pencils and pens. Godfather Part III, killed a guy with the frame of his glasses.
 
Halcohead --

Don't know if it's still in effect, but the FAA used to prohibit magnets that weren't OEM to the aircraft. The ban was originally based on the potential influence of unknown magnetic fields on the aircraft compass.

John
 
Not sure if you could do it today, but in the late 90s I carried a modified brief case with a cast iron indicator stand and digital indicator along with other measuring tools (digital calipers, mikes, Deltronic pin gauges, rules, etc) all over the UK and Ireland. I had a local boot maker make dividers in the brief case, so every thing had a place.
When we got back to the UK from Ireland there had been some IRA bombings and someone on our flight skipped the normal screening. We were told to walk slowly towards the men with the machine guns. Did not have to tell me twice.
 
Halcohead --

Don't know if it's still in effect, but the FAA used to prohibit magnets that weren't OEM to the aircraft. The ban was originally based on the potential influence of unknown magnetic fields on the aircraft compass.

John

They could be a major problem, although modern airliners have systems like GPS that wouldn't be affected. They mounted to old flux gate compass transmitters as high up on the vertical fin as possible to get away from influences. Simple magnetic compasses mounted on the instrument panel were vulnerable to the fields of electrical currents as well as magnetic items. To do a compass swing properly, you had to put the plane on a compass rose painted on pavement and rotate it through compass points while recording the reading with various electrical equipment turned on. My Cessna 195 had the current to the landing lights running right below the compass. With both landing lights on the compass was essentially useless. Airpath Compasses are made here and I knew George Cottrel who started the company. They made a model with the numbers reversed so it could be read in a mirror. The compass was mounted on the bulkhead behind the pilot to get as far away from the wiring in the panel and it was read in a mirror on the panel.

They definitely would frown on passengers bringing magnets aboard.

Bill
 
Not sure if you could do it today, but in the late 90s I carried a modified brief case with a cast iron indicator stand and digital indicator along with other measuring tools (digital calipers, mikes, Deltronic pin gauges, rules, etc) all over the UK and Ireland. I had a local boot maker make dividers in the brief case, so every thing had a place.
When we got back to the UK from Ireland there had been some IRA bombings and someone on our flight skipped the normal screening. We were told to walk slowly towards the men with the machine guns. Did not have to tell me twice.

I flew Lufthansa NYC to Hamburg nonstop, changed planes for the final leg to Stuttgart. Those of us going on were separated, lined up and one at a time, went to the baggage cart, got our bag, carried the bag to another cart beside the airstairs then immediately boarded the plane. All under the watchful eyes of bad ass looking helmeted dudes with machine pistols at ready. No one cracked a smile, they were all business. Makes our "security" look like the joke it is.
 
Halcohead --

Don't know if it's still in effect, but the FAA used to prohibit magnets that weren't OEM to the aircraft. The ban was originally based on the potential influence of unknown magnetic fields on the aircraft compass.

John

Thanks that's an informative post. Indeed this was part of my concern, though permanent magnets inside of mag bases are shielded-ish. Though I seem to remember a "no air-freight" tag on packages when you buy magnets and mag-bases online.

I've taken full sets of Bondhus L-wrench hex keys in carryon a number of times (sometimes they complain about the 3/8" wrench due to length limits, but have never confiscated it), as well as small-ish box wrenches. But sounds like nobody here has tried to take a mag base.

I think I'll try, but leave the Noga and use one of my super cheap bases in case they say no. And leave it disassembled for going through security so they don't freak about about length limits.
 
I had a fly-tying vise in my carry-on bag once, and at the Xray machine the guard shouted out "He has a knife!"

This caused some excitement. A fly-tying vise looks a lot like a Noga base--no magnet in the vise, but the shapes are similar.

They let the vise stay, but in an attempt to appear effective, they made me check my fly rod instead of carrying it on, saying it could be used as a weapon. Well, I do like to think of it as a fish-killer.

So whatever the rules say, remember the people at the gate have lots of discretion. And given the nature of the job, are usually very edgy (when they're awake).
 
As a field service tech I flew all over the US and Canada, just check a proper tool case for your equipment.

You go to the oversize baggage area and go through special screening, they examine everything closely and use a much more powerful X-Ray machine to look at what your shipping. They only thing I was never allowed to ship this way was liquids even small bottles of Loctite which are under their guideline volume limits. Plenty of box cutters and blade refills went through these scans without incident, the only thing I was ever questioned about was medical micro filters (miilipore) that were hermetically sealed for sanitary reasons, they still let me through with them just wanted to know what they were.

Why anyone in their right mind would need to have their tools on the plane carry on style is beyond me, reminds me of the time a woman threw a fit because they wouldn't let her on with her favorite fork...please do us all a favor and check your equipment.

Plenty of inexpensive ways to ship tooling, I often travelled with hundreds of pounds of parts and tools and never had an issue. Tools were in foam lined cases and parts were in flip top plastic bins with ziptie lid loops so they could be sealed after inspection, spare zipties were inside the cases for return shipping.

No big deal.
 
IATA says magnets are forbidden on passenger and cargo aircraft. That means, in my experience, that packed in baggage or sent FedEx, etc, on any airline, is a major no-no

The fine for undeclared dangerous goods is well north of $10k. Plus prison.
 
If you are unsure about things that you want in your carry-on baggage, then (1) go the the airport early and (2) have a plan B.

Go through security at least an hour before the boarding time for your flight. If the TSA security people say that you can not bring something with you, then leave the security area and return back to the check-in/baggage drop area with the items in question. Here is where plan B enters. Have a folded up cardboard box and some tape or a small rolled up duffle bag with you. Place item in question into box/bag, and ask the airline personnel to check it for you because it was not allowed in the carry-on items by security. The check-in personnel will generally do this, even if it would exceed your allowance for the number of checked items, because they are familiar with this problem. Then pass through the security check again, this time without the item in question.

I do a lot of traveling, including some with tools in tow, and am speaking from direct personal experience at several airports in the USA and Europe.

Cheers,
Bruce
 
Yoke, I didn't know about their instagram account, thanks. Sea Farmer, interesting anecdote. It's promising that they at least didn't freak out about the profile/shape of the vise. Rklopp, agreed I remembered that too, but wasn't sure if that was Noga being conservative and covering liability and/or complying with air freight regulations that aren't shared in the USA (it appears this is the case based on TSA regs: My TSA - Home Airport ).

I'll report back with first-hand experience.
 
My advice... FedEx everything.

In my bachelor days, I used to pretty much live on the road as a field service technician. Pre 9/11, I used to check my tools, PPE, and test equipment. Eventually, as security tightened, I found it was much easier and more reliable to FedEx everything (excluding my carry-on computer bag and a small suitcase containing clothing and basic PPE). These days, for domestic flights, I wouldn't think of carrying on or checking anything tool or test equipment related.

FedEx Priority overnight is an amazing thing. A while back I had a job to do up in Alaska, followed by a job in Chicago. I finished my job in Alaska, drove to the FedEx place in Fairbanks and dropped off my tools/test equipment to be shipped priority overnight to the jobsite in Chicago. From there, I went directly to the Fairbanks airport and caught the next available flight to Chicago. When I arrived in Chicago, I hopped in the rental car and made my way directly to the job site. My FedEx stuff were already there! I have no idea how it beat me there, but it did. When I finished my Chicago job, I FedEx'd everything back to my office before catching my flight home. Magically, everything was at my desk when I got back to the office. Somehow, FedEx packages ALWAYS beat me to my destination.

I don't miss schlepping a bunch of heavy stuff through airports, and at this point, I trust FedEx more than I trust the baggage handlers to get my stuff where it needs to go. Fortunately for me, my employer pays for all of the expensive NDA shipping. I might rethink my strategy if I was paying out of pocket.

International travel is different. I put a lot more planning into what i take, and only fly with the bare necessity tools, test equipment, and PPE. I only seem to run into problems with the US TSA. The rest of the world seems much more reasonable with respect to getting my stuff from point A to point B via airplane.

In closing, here's a stupid joke I heard somewhere...

Q: Do you know why they don't let old ladies on airplanes with knitting needles?
A: They're afraid they'll knit an Afghan.
 








 
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