In the FWIW Department,

This weekend, 4/30 - 5/3 I flew from Chicago O'Hare International to Charleston, S.C. and back. I checked two bags curbside, one of which contained my tripod, and carried on my 8 X 10 camera kit and 8 film holders. The camera case is within carry-on size limitations, about 14 X 20 X 9 or so and loaded weighs 32 lbs. The film holders are ziplocked in 2 gallon bags and carried in a waterproof army surplus shoulder bag. They weigh around 16 lbs.

I asked for hand inspection of the film at both airport security check points. I carried along an empty holder and some sleeved. developed 8 X 10 negs in a film box to explain things. I tried to time it so that I went through the gates when there was a minimum of people behind and ahead of me to reduce the delay and pressure on the security personell. At Charleston, this was impossible as they had only 1 security gate for a terminal with 5 gates.

However, at both airports, the security personel were accomodating and polite, although they were more thorough in Charleston than at O'Hare. They got the idea eventually that I did't want to open the holders or have them X-rayed. No problems at all. Had to make sure I had adequate time to do this and make the gate in plenty of time to check in though. Sorry Mason, I couldn't figure out which heading this should go under, so I put it here in creativity.

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), May 03, 1999

Answers

That's pretty wierd Sean... it's the same technique I've used, a mini seminar on large format eqiuipment for the security folk. I'll even go so far as to carry an unopened box of film on me and haven't set off the alarms yet. Then I have to load in the hotel bathroom at night. I'm not sure any of this would work outside the states....t

-- tom meyer (twm@meteor.com), May 06, 1999.

Once I showed up (early) at the airport for my flight out of Michigan after shooting hundreds of sheets of 4X5 (don't remember what airport) and when I tried to pass my film through un-X-rayed and unopened, the security guard got adamant and would not let me board without a thorough search inside the boxes or full X-ray. I can see the point to some degree because the film was in multiple 100 sheet boxes and they are big enough to hold whatever, but I was not about to let my film be ruined either. I had to walk back to the entrance, try to get my baggage back, take a shuttle over to FedEx, ship my film, and come back to find that my baggage went home and that I could not board. It was an isolated case but very disruptive. There has to be a better way. I have processed in motel rooms so it is not an issue but not that much film. What do people do out there? I asked FedEx if they X-ray packages and they would not tell me for security reasons.

-- Rob Tucher (rtphotodoc@juno.com), May 13, 1999.

I haven't flown since I was in the Army, so here's my idea FWIW: Take with you a sheet of processed and a sheet of unprocessed film. Show them an example of what is in the box. Or perhaps just when you are traveling carry Kodak Ready Load or Fuji Quickload systems. I use Kodak with the Polaroid 545 back, and Fuji says they are also compatible with that holder.

-- Brian C. Miller (brianm@ioconcepts.com), June 09, 1999.