Anyone Air-Traveled with a Small Refractor Lately?

Has anyone air-traveled with a small refractor like a TV85 or an Astro-Physics Traveler, or a scope of like size that is transported as "carry-on" baggage? If so, what did you experience from the TSA? Did they scrutinize and paw the scope? Did they deny the scope as a carry-on? I need to know what to expect before I travel.

Thanks,

-jim

Well, not quite lately. In 2006 my wife and I traveled overseas to see the solar eclipse, and we hand-carried a TV-85, a Coronado 60mm H-alpha scope, and a few eyepieces. Absolutely no problems then, either here in the US or in airports abroad. Unfortunately I've not taken any of my small scopes on an aircraft more recently than that.

Ron
Equipment Forum co-moderator

I just completed a business trip to the US from Canada. The trip included a couple of US domestic flights. From what I experienced, security for US domestic flights was much looser than that for flights entering the US. Certainly carry-on for doemstic flights did not seem to be restricted compared to recent past times.

I wasn't carrying a scope but after the experiences I had in Toronto on a trip to Philly, I expected a lot more from the TSA. The US domestic flights were actually enjoyable, (including the security checks at Philly). If you don't plan on leaving the US, I don't think think you will have any difficulties.

good luck,
dan

Jim Wayda said:

Has anyone air-traveled with a small refractor like a TV85 or an Astro-Physics Traveler, or a scope of like size that is transported as "carry-on" baggage? If so, what did you experience from the TSA? Did they scrutinize and paw the scope? Did they deny the scope as a carry-on? I need to know what to expect before I travel.

Thanks,

-jim

Jim: Here's a link to a thread from a week ago that Dan initiated:

http://www.astromart.com/forums/viewpost.asp?forum_post_id=696967&poll_id=&news_id=&page=

Probably worth looking at...

Jon

Jim Wayda said:

Jim:

Just before Christmas I took my Traveler to Australia. This was "our" third trip Down Under, but the first time I brought it in a Pelican 1510 (with wheels), which I'd bought because I'd grown tired of carrying the scope through endless corridors in airports. I'd never had problems before, but the woman at the check-in counter demanded that I weigh the bag. It was several pounds over the limit. I asked to see a manager, who fortunately allowed me to carry it on. I was pretty nervous, though. On the return trip, about 10 days after the Underwear Bomber episode, I was very concerned about security. The Australian version of TSA, though, were terrific. They were thorough (which I appreciated!) and made me remove the scope from the case, etc., but I had no
problems. By the way, despite the full-ish moon, I had some nice 3am views of the Southern Milky Way and Mars.

Best,
Jim



Has anyone air-traveled with a small refractor like a TV85 or an Astro-Physics Traveler, or a scope of like size that is transported as "carry-on" baggage? If so, what did you experience from the TSA? Did they scrutinize and paw the scope? Did they deny the scope as a carry-on? I need to know what to expect before I travel.

Thanks,

-jim

In July 09 I flew from DC to Phoenix, on to SF, and back with a Tak 85ED in a Zero Halliburton case. Tripod and mount were checked. I had no problems at all; no questions asked and I don't recall that I was even asked to open the case.
George

Once I changed planes in Paris CDG with a red 80mm WO refractor in a case. A big security guy asked me to open the case and exclaimed: Oh, a rocket launcher!

Dmitri

Jim Wayda said:

Has anyone air-traveled with a small refractor like a TV85 or an Astro-Physics Traveler, or a scope of like size that is transported as "carry-on" baggage? If so, what did you experience from the TSA? Did they scrutinize and paw the scope? Did they deny the scope as a carry-on? I need to know what to expect before I travel.

Thanks,

-jim

Jim,

We just returned from the Winter Star Party, and took Sue's AP 130 GT on the trip. It was broken down into its three parts and in a legal ScopeGuard carry-on. In Albany, NY, they opened the case and ran some of their swabs around the outside. They did not handle any of the scope parts. In Key West they did not look at the scope at all.

I always say "Hi" and mention it is a telescope when I place it on the conveyor.

Sue had the eyepieces, star diagonal, filters, and binoculars in another carry-on. Since it likely showed up as a jumble on the x-ray, they did look at these more carefully. They were careful with everything.

Although we were careful to check all the rules we did have a problem with the second carry-on flying out of Charlotte. Apparently PSA Airlines, which operates the US Airways Express from Charlotte to Albany, bans wheeled carry-ons. Although this piece of luggage was smaller than the ScopeGuard case, she had to gate check it. She removed the optics first and carried them onto the plane. (Our flight to Charlotte was on a larger plane not operated by PSA Airlines.)

There is always a chance a plane will run out of space in the overhead and you'll have to gate check bags. We made sure we were at the head of our zone's boarding, and had a stuff sack for the lens in case things didn't work out. The new rules of one carry-on and one personal item do seem to have made it less likely not to find a space in the overhead. On one full flight they did ask for volunteers to gate check items. Quite a few people took them up on this.

I'm going to look into the PSA Airlines rule. It should certainly be mentioned on the US Airways or PSA Airlines web site if they enforce it (I have not found it mentioned anywhere). The plan for next year is to avoid PSA Airlines flights, if possible, and pack the optics in a smaller case that can be removed if necessary. We could also use a non-wheeled carry-on.

Clear skies, Alan

About a year ago I managed to snag an old original 11mm Nagler from a seller in Brooklyn while on a business trip to New York. I double bagged it in anti-static bubble-wrap with some dessicant to protect it on the trip home. I tossed it in my computer bag along with my cellphone, GPS, etc.

As I started to pass through security at the Newark Airport I recalled the legendary "hand-grenade" metaphor the early Naglers earned and thought to myself "This ought to be interesting...". Well you should have seen the look on the Xray operators face when that bag passed into view. (I think she was a trainee to boot!) She called for her Supervisor. Two of them looked at the screen together. I could then see the Supervisor prompt the trainee what she should do. The answer was a hand search, of course. They called one of the guards over to the screen. His eyes lit up too as he gazed at the contents and was assigned the hand-search task.

So the guard intercepts the bag as it exits X-ray. He asks me to confirm the bag is mine. I try to console him a bit offering that I know what may be causing concern - but he isn't interested. He directs me towards the search table - but instructs me to stand at a distance off to the side. He also instructs me not to move, keep my hands to my side, not to contact any of my belongings or advance towards the table in any way. He then proceeds to carefully opening the bag and removing everything. The GPS and cellphone were the first two items to be removed (probably added a bit to the drama.)

When he gets to the bubble wrapped eyepiece he asks me to confirm it to be the object of interest. He set it aside and returned everything else to the computer bag. He then placed the eyepiece (without unwrapping it) into one tote, and the computer bag in another. He then returned the two totes to the X-ray operator.

The trainee re-examines the eyepiece in every wavelength and viewing angle with the Supervisor looking over her shoulder. She obviously had no clue what she was looking at. I believe the Supervisor then asked her if she had any idea - the operator shook her head "No." To my surprise the Supervisor declared it to be "an Astronomical Eyepiece" and instructed the operator to pass it through....I was impressed to say the least...

The whole experience left me wondering if the Supervisor was that well trained by the TSA, if she was an Astronomer herself, or if the Nagler family had personally carried enough of their eyepieces through the Newark airport over the years that she had seen them all at one time or another.

Just last week I took the family to Orlando for a Disneyworld vacation. I hand carried a set of Oberwerk 22x100 binos in a Pelican 1510 on rollers. (I checked the parallelogram/tripod). TSA at DFW inquired what was in the Pelican case as I placed it on the conveyor, but never opened it. TSA at Orlando never asked me anything. Unfortunately the weather didn't allow me to use them :S But then again I was pretty happy to hit that pillow after 10 hours of walking every day too 8)

Jim
I have an AP130GT and have had similar experience to other Posters. I took mine to Maui in March this year and also last September. I do have the special ScopeGuard case for it. My smaller planes
did not have enough overhead room for the case, so I gate checked it after removing the objective
section and carrying it on the plane.

TSA was very nice about it; I did explain it was a telescope, like a large telephoto lens for a
camera. My case has been swabbed a couple of times, but never around the optics. I am nice to
them and tell them how important the optics are to stay pristine. No problems.

If I have to hand-carry the objective, and the next leg is the larger aircraft, I put it back in
the case in the airport waiting area. I also bubble-wrap eyepieces and my diagonal and place them
in the hollow tube sections in the case. Rings go in checked baggage.

My telescope and case are insured for damage and loss. Airline's liabilities for lost or damaged
baggage should be understood before your trip IMO. Bottom line is that I have had no problems.
Wes