A friend of mine is a professional jazz bassist and told me that the FAA actually has some exceptions allowing musicians to take their instruments carry on (ok, not stand up basses though!). As in, they have to let you. Imagine what would happen to orchestral music if the entire violin section had to put their $5000+ instruments in the cargo hold!
I don’t know about having a humidified case or if that is extra necessary in the uber-dry plane environment, since most plane rides are relatively short, but it might be worth considering if your instrument is worth a lot to you. Although, I seem to recall studies on Terry McGee’s web site that seemed to indicate a wooden flute wouldn’t lose all that much water over a 12 hour period.
As a funny sidenote, I typically carry my little Dixon assembled in a hand-crocheted case, making it stand out of my backpack quite obviously. On one international flight recently, one of the flight attendants got me into the serving area to play a few tunes on board! Too bad that doesn’t happen more often. It would really make those long flights a lot more fun!
Here’s the link to the TSA website. Apparently, they themselves recognize that they do have a policy of allowing musical instruments on board. It can be in addition to a carry-on bag and a purse, if the airline itself allows. (I suppose depending on how large the instrument is.)
Just a note
This policy has to do with carrying the instrument in the airplane, and that’s a fine thing. It doesn’t have anything to do with getting past the guys with the X-Ray machines.
I got busted on the domestic flight from Bristol to Manchester last
weekend. Because I had my prreccioussss Laughing Whistle in my jacket
pocket.
I had two flutes and a whistle in a carrying-case…they weren’t interested
at all in them. But the collapsed Laughing Whistle “looked like a
detonator”. After further examination, I was informed I couldn’t take
the ‘detonator’ aboard the aircraft, since whistles are signalling devices in
the event of emergency. The flutes and Busman whistle in the flute-case
were okay, because they were ‘musical instruments.’
Finally, after much discussion, I was allowed to take the ‘detonator’
aboard on condition I didn’t tell anyone, didn’t take it out of my pocket,
and if asked or challenged, I should “claim it’s a musical instrument.”
Oh and then they suggested that for my return flight, I should pack
the ‘detonator’ that had caused so much alarm in my hold luggage. Yeah
right…So they can practice blowing up suitcases using mine as an
excuse? I don’t think so.
On the return flight, I got busted. They didn’t give a rat’s about the
Laughing Whistle. But they didn’t like my flutes. Four security doods had
a big debate, staring at the screen. Finally I called over to them: “Would
you like me to open that for you?”
One of them wandered over. “What’s in the case sir?”
“Two flutes and a penny whistle. A couple of cleaning rods.”
“Not snooker cues then?”
“No.”
He looked disappointed, told his mates, and handed me the case.
“Don’t you want me to open it?” I suggested.
“Nah. We just wondered why snooker cues would have metal rings and
what looked like stubby gun barrels concealed inside them.”
“They’re flutes.”
“That explains it.”
“I can open the case…”
“Nah, that’s okay. Have a good flight.”
The TSA/FAA rules do allow you to take instruments into the cabin, but there’s nothing that says they “have to let you.” The final say is with the airline, and if they’re uncomfortable with anything going into the cabin, they can make you check it.
Just to avoid ugliness; it’s best to approach the airlines with a, “Please, may I take this on board?” attitude rather than a “You must allow me to bring this on board.”
If I were checking people in for flights, and someone demanded to be allowed to take something into the cabin . . . I might think twice.
This policy has to do with carrying the instrument in the airplane, and that’s a fine thing. It doesn’t have anything to do with getting past the guys with the X-Ray machines.
No, it’s the TSA (the US agency doing the screening) policy regarding getting the instrument past the x-ray machines. They are supposed to allow you to carry one instrument through the screening. They will x-ray it and, should they be unable to determine if it’s an instrument, may require you to play it.
Of course, they reserve the right to decide if it can be used as a weapon, i.e., the “dual purpose” argument.
It says that it’s up to the airline to allow you to actually carry it on board, depending on the size.
Somewhere else on the same site they ask you not to put fruitcake in checked baggage, but to carry it instead. That surprised me, as I’ve never seen a fruitcake I didn’t consider to be a potential weapon.
And, my favorite recommendation . . . to save yourself aggravation and avoid having your shoes inspected, wear flip-flops.
If you’re in the Tampa, Atlanta, or Richmond airports the second week of January, and you see a fat woman in shower shoes trying frantically to get some noise out of a flute . . . that’ll be me.
Never, never check your flute (or piccolo)! Always carry it on with you, close to your heart. I even get nervous when I cannot see my flute bag once I’m seated.
Once, on a concert band tour to Europe, I had to open my piccolo case at Logan Airport in Boston. On the Xray, it looked to the inspector like (his words) a little “bomb” case and he wouldn’t believe that it was a musical instrument. He also didn’t know what a piccolo was, so I had to play a little bit on both my flute and piccolo to satisfy his questions.
I called TSA in St. Louis–they said there would
be no trouble and there wasn’t. See what happens
on the way home.
I think, by the way, that some of the weird
searches that get reported (they search the
harmless old lady, etc and ignore the robust
young man) are the result of a strategy:
the idea is that a computer determines
a random search pattern, every nth person
gets searched in earnest, no matter who she
is. This is to maximize the prospect of
finding people with weapons who are
sneaking through and also to make it
plain to would be’s that they may be
searched no matter how innocent they
appear. A certain amount of searching should
look irrational. [/url]
Jim, that’s what we were told, too, but I find it crazy that our ENTIRE FAMILY of 6 was the “nth individual”…
And that we were ALL the “nth individual” on each of the flights we were on, both coming and going.
And that our souveniers were prohibited from coming on board in our carry ons, while someone ~ obviously NOT the nth individual, waltzed past us WITH A GOLF CLUB!!!
I can relate to your ire concerning the golf club. I was flying back from Baltimore the first day flights were in the air again after Sept. 11th (it was either that Saturday or Sunday). I was forced to leave my nail clippers behind (the kind with no sharp points, not even a nail file) and had to fight to be allowed to take on my deadly Ralph Sweet fife…whereas this other guy was allowed to carry on his aluminum tennis racket without question!
Sorry, I wrote a reply and just emailed it to Aaron, so probably all of the other “you’s” to whom I’m replying won’t see it; thus, I’m going to try again and “post” it. Bear with me. I’m a newbie at this.
Hi, Aaron – et al.
I’m not sure about the bodhran and its relation to terrorists… I know the members of my 65-piece concert band would look askance at that, as quite a few of them play bodhran–and I’m pretty sure they’re not terrorists. How do I know this piece of trivia? We are currently rehearsing for (what else this time of year?)a Xmas concert, playing a piece called “A Celtic Carol”, where the scoring includes bodhran and spoons (yes, this is a modern concert band, playing an unusual piece which presupposes that many of our players have unusual talents, which they do). It was surprisingly easy to find a bodhran player in the group (plus drums of several sizes) PLUS! several players to go up to the percussion section and play spoons (yes, the bassoonist brought his own set). I, being NOT that unusual, merely play the piccolo, trying to sound like an Irish flute.
To keep on the topic of “airports”, I agree with some of you that we should definitely play our flutes, fifes, recorders, etc. (maybe not piccolos) in airports to pass the time. It will make for a better mood all around. For the writer who said he/she was asked to play once and then never again (“maybe the word got around”), all I can say is “keep practicing” (and why not in an airport?). People will smile, laugh, perhaps maybe even engage you in conversation.
I’m not sure about the bodhran and its relation to terrorists… I know the members of my 65-piece concert band would look askance at that, as quite a few of them play bodhran–and I’m pretty sure they’re not terrorists. Laura
Uh oh! Looks like a clear case of Stockholm Syndrome!
The C&F International Hostage Rescue Team is on it’s way, Laura! Just hang in there!
(Honestly, you get complacent and think you’re SAFE . . . and then something like THIS happens . . . )
Obviously I know nothing about the guy with the golf club,
etc. (and of course things were very confused in the
span after 9/11, Jayhawk), however I think it’s a good idea
to search whole families, to occasionally search
groups travelling together–who knows what’s on
been placed on the children, etc?
I’ve said earlier that I’ve flown in countries where
there was a serious terrorism problem;
I continue to think our security is too lax,
though I think it’s getting better. In India
I was frisked and patted down everytime
i flew, everybody was, then we went out
on the tarmac and identified our luggage.
I’m grateful to these people, honestly.
Even if sometimes they are making mistakes.
I don’t know how one does what they are trying
to do without making mistakes. There have to
be policies–policies have idiotic consequences,
but one is safer with them than if people decide
on reasonable grounds (for heaven’s sake, this
old lady in a wheelchair isn’t a threat! Bang!)
And sometimes people will do dumb things.
But at the end of the day, they are trying to
keep me alive. I like that.
Anyhow this time my shoulder bag, containing
the flute, set off some alarm; so we went off
to a private place and two people went over my bag
with a fine tooth comb. All kinds of arcane
detection devices I’ve never seen. To my
dissapointment they had little interest in
the flute–they opened the case, smiled
at me, and I said: "let me close that…’
Finally they gave me back the bag
and I said: ‘Thanks. I appreciate your work.’
