We’re off to Rhode Island for Thanksgivng to
spend five days with The Boss’s family.
Oh, god. I’m thinking of taking a flute, perhaps
I can go down in the basement and play
quietly. But how does one get a flute on the
plane? I’m intetested in worst case scenarios.
If one puts it in luggage that gets checked,
does it freeze?
We may not have checked luggage.
Well if I put it in something carry on,
will they let me take it on?
I’m willing to play if for them,
maybe I can pass the hat.
But there was the story about the Seery
taht wasn’t allowed on because it could
be used as a blackjack.
I suppose I can call the airline, but
do you’all have experience? Suppose
the flute is keyed and expensive, etc.
Jim - I always travel with my flute. I know it sets off the metal detectors here in my office (a federal building), but getting on a plane no one has once asked to even see it when I’ve run it through the x-ray machines.
I think I put a link on this board to an FAA security link saying it’s OK to take instruments on a plane.
I always take mine carryon, I don’t mind losing pants but would hate to lose a flute.. Most times they open the bag, take a look, and let me go on. Once though they had to bring over a few folks to decide that it really was a flute.
I always carry it with me, in my hand baggage. Once or twice (only in the US) someone asked me what it was, and once i even offered to play a jig (but i wouldn’t do that these days – no joking with these guys, is probably the best policy). But i’ve never had any trouble carrying a flute in a plane.
I think a flute would probably survive the cargo compartment well, but i’ve never had to do it.
YMMV, of course. Especially if you have an Arabic name and wear a long beard and a turban.
I’d take that FAA letter with me just in case. It may not help, but it doesn’t cost anything.
I’ve taken flutes on planes many times. I’d never put a wooden flute in checked baggage because I’m paranoid about the low pressure and temperature. I’ve made at least a dozen flights with a wooden flute and plastic or aluminum whistles, and the only time I was challenged was in Brussels. Belgium-to-US security is really incredible. Even that wasn’t a problem, though. I’ve put a polymer flute in checked baggage a few times – no way to know whether it raised any eyebrows, but I still have it.
Carry-on, absolutely. If the headjoint is lined, some initial concern may be raised (could be a pipe bomb!), but what I do is show them the case and tell them before they ask that I’ve got a flute there and would they like to see it? One time I just got waved through with no check. So much for security. Be ready to play it. I’ve been asked to do that, but only once. Word must have got around.
Ditto for me, in Vienna. I think it’s safe to say that security in international flights entering the US is the hardest. But even there there wasn’t much trouble. The “funny” part of it is they would imply that there was something interesting in my bag, but wouldn’t tell me what. Kind of like amateur cop psychology, waiting for me to tell them that i had a weapon. I made a tired face and said something like “if you’re interested in the thing in the black case, it’s a flute” and they waived me on (terrorists are much more likely to be playing banjos).
Last July; the Hammy’s first commercial flight in its snazzy new Moincoin “pistol case”; I’m wondering what the X-ray people will say; I put the case on the belt, and … the X-ray lady looks at the screen and says, “Oh, look! Is that an Irish flute?”
I usually travel with my keyless unlined boxwood Olwell and plastic Susato whistles, which seem to be invisible on the scanners. The security people are usually much more interested in my accordion (along the lines of “what the hell is THAT?”).
I always get asked about my flute and have to open up the case and show it to the inspectors. But it’s never been a problem.
At the Orly airport in Paris earlier this year it turned out one of the inspectors was an accomplished Baroque flutist, and I almost missed my flight because she and I got into a long conversation about simple-system flutes.
For what it’s worth- a former flute teacher advised me not to even put my flute in the trunk of a car. The closer it stayed to my heart the better 'cause if something happened to the flute I probably wouldn’t be around condition to care.
Seriously, though- most of of our flutes are more valuable than our jewelry and we’d never to check THAT. If I thought I would be required to check my flute, I’d ship it Fed Ex instead because it would be more likely to get there than my luggage.
I always get asked about my flute and have to open up the case and show it to the inspectors. But it’s never been a problem.
After flying on numerous domestic flights in the U.S. with my uilleann pipes as a carry-on, I’ve never once been asked ‘oi, you, wot’s in that case?’ I almost felt let down.
Take it as a carry on Jim…Oh did someone say that already?
Seriously though, that’s how I always carry mine. I recently flew with a couple of flutes and couple of metal whistles in my bag. I had one of the flutes (an olwell bamboo) slung from my belt like a club in a scabbard. I was afraid they would think the whistles were pipe bombs and strip search me. Fortuneately my 8-year-old daughter looked like more of a threat to national security so they frisked her instead. :roll:
Have a good trip, and definitely play in the airports. I played in about four of them on my jaunt and never got thrown out or any of them.
-I’ve travelled on US domestic airlines without a problem going through security with whistles and a native American flute, but a concerned flight attendant enroute once asked to examine the flute because it was swaddled in a towel and must have appeared suspicious, especially with the fetich off. I think she just filed it away as another odd thing that customers tote along, but seemed gratified it wasn’t a security problem.
Any concern it could be used as a bludgeon evaporated when she hefted the light thing.
Right ~ don’t get me started.
I loved the fact that our entire family was searched/frisked while the guy carrying the golf club walked right on!!
And I’m still angry about that, and I’ll never fly FRONTIER again if I can help it.
