While I know this won't be popular, it's quite illegal to carry flares and a few other items paddlers can't live without, on commercial aircraft. It doesn't matter what the ticket counter clerk accepts - it's against ICAO (the UN aviation organization) and FAA rules to carry incendiary devices unless they're declared, rendered "safe", packed in a VERY specific manner, and the container (in this case you r luggage) is labelled properly. Even this is no guarantee it'll go as the Captain must be notified of all dangerous goods on board (which he won't be if you haven't filled out paperwork on it), and accept them which many passenger carrying Captains won't do (rightly so). The other items, which I wish weren't so, include stoves that've been used, no matter how well you think you've cleaned them (I don't agree with this one, but I don't make the rules), fuel bottles even if empty (same rule as stoves, and I also don't agree IF they've been properly cleaned - but how many of us know how to do that or would, beyond the "sniff" test?), smoke generators and, for checked luggage any kind of matches/lighters (you can put them in carry-on's I think). If you think just one little flare, which must be "safed" as you've been paddling with it and not had a problem, would be okay, consider what happens when this (possibly past its expiration date) flare, that's likely spent part of the last year or two soaked in saltwater and exposed to the sun, decides it's its day to shine - think ValueJet DC-9 in the Everglades. Sorry to be such a wet blamket. Alan Gurevich *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> The other items, which I wish weren't so, include stoves that've been used, > no matter how well you think you've cleaned them (I don't agree with this > one, but I don't make the rules), fuel bottles even if empty (same rule as > stoves, and I also don't agree IF they've been properly cleaned - but how > many of us know how to do that or would, beyond the "sniff" test> On a recent trip to the Boundary Waters I called ahead to the airlines about my stove and fuel bottle. American Airlines stated that my stove which is an alcohol burning stove (Trangia) and fuel bottle if cleaned up well, would be admitted because the fuel used (denatured alcohol) is not considered volatile. I did not argue with them and took the stove and fuel bottle with me. The flares were not accepted at all. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Federal Express and UPS have both been fined for accepting "Hazardous Material" for air shipment that were not labeled properly and should have been sent ground. Flares are shippable in the US via Ground and not by air in most cases that I am aware of. Flares within a pressurized environment in a commercial aircraft could result in a serious situation for all of those on board. Please don't take flares with you. Buy them when you get there. The life you save could be your own!!!! The Value Jet crash in the Everglades that Alan references below is an excellent example of equipment carried as part of an aircraft's safety equipment that was placed in the cargo hold and not packed properly for shipment and misrepresented on the cargo manifest. The passengers and crew died because of that. With regards to stoves that have been cleaned. An aircraft is pressurized (including the cargo hold), but still result in pressures much lower than that found on the ground. Residual combustible liquids can easily vaporize at these pressures resulting in a highly flammable gas that is looking for a way out of the container as pressure on the outside is lower than that on the inside. In other words: A bomb looking for a place to go off. Have you ever had shampoo or perfume fill your suitcase during a flight? It would actually be safer to have the container full of combustible liquid, but that really isn't an acceptable alternative either, lest it leak. It would not provide room for a gas to form, but most containers are not designed to handle the pressure changes (like your ears are). At 01:20 PM 3/3/2000 -0500, you wrote: >While I know this won't be popular, it's quite illegal to carry flares and >a few other items paddlers can't live without, on commercial aircraft. It >doesn't matter what the ticket counter clerk accepts - it's against ICAO >(the UN aviation organization) and FAA rules to carry incendiary devices >unless they're declared, rendered "safe", packed in a VERY specific manner, >and the container (in this case you r luggage) is labelled properly. > >Even this is no guarantee it'll go as the Captain must be notified of all >dangerous goods on board (which he won't be if you haven't filled out >paperwork on it), and accept them which many passenger carrying Captains >won't do (rightly so). > >The other items, which I wish weren't so, include stoves that've been used, >no matter how well you think you've cleaned them (I don't agree with this >one, but I don't make the rules), fuel bottles even if empty (same rule as >stoves, and I also don't agree IF they've been properly cleaned - but how >many of us know how to do that or would, beyond the "sniff" test?), smoke >generators and, for checked luggage any kind of matches/lighters (you can >put them in carry-on's I think). > > If you think just one little flare, which must be "safed" as you've been >paddling with it and not had a problem, would be okay, consider what >happens when this (possibly past its expiration date) flare, that's likely >spent part of the last year or two soaked in saltwater and exposed to the >sun, decides it's its day to shine - think ValueJet DC-9 in the Everglades. > >Sorry to be such a wet blamket. > >Alan Gurevich > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not >to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ >*************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 3/3/00 8:44:08 PM !!!First Boot!!!, cakayak_at_mindspring.com writes: << Federal Express and UPS have both been fined for accepting "Hazardous Material" for air shipment that were not labeled properly and should have been sent ground. >> I was an UPS driver and I have been chewed out by customers for not accepting air packages that were shipped in boxes that were marked as hazardous materials. Even if the box is brand new but has been preprinted with a hazardous material label it is not allowed on aircraft. I know an individual that was flying to Europe for a cycling trip. They purchased a new MSR Whisperlite stove for the occasion. The airlines ticket clerk would not allow the stove aboard the plane, as I mentioned, it was brand new. My guess would be that the clerk got a new stove out of the deal. Bruce McCutcheon WEO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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