UK airports.....

lrwskyfilms · Jun 15, 2015

Hello all, I intend to fly out of a major UK airport with the I1 and I have some queries.

Please I need confirmation or experience of carrying the I1 on board or via hold luggage, Lipos in their own fireproof bags, I1 well secured and bubble wrapped (awaiting a decent peli-type case) will be my basic thoughts.

What have others found? Does the I1 fit in overhead lockers? Are Lipos allowed in overhead lockers or on board now after the "dutch" smoke/fire incident after someone left a lipo inside the I1?

Any help/advice always gratefully received, I'm checking airlines and airports for procedures, just wanted to know if others on here have already had an experience.

Cheers, Mark

Scotflieger · Jun 15, 2015

lrwskyfilms said:
Hello all, I intend to fly out of a major UK airport with the I1 and I have some queries.

Please I need confirmation or experience of carrying the I1 on board or via hold luggage, Lipos in their own fireproof bags, I1 well secured and bubble wrapped (awaiting a decent peli-type case) will be my basic thoughts.

What have others found? Does the I1 fit in overhead lockers? Are Lipos allowed in overhead lockers or on board now after the "dutch" smoke/fire incident after someone left a lipo inside the I1?

Any help/advice always gratefully received, I'm checking airlines and airports for procedures, just wanted to know if others on here have already had an experience.

I have no experience taking my I1 onboard an aircraft. I have seen a booking that claims the original I1 case will fit in an overhead locker (Boeing 737) but have not measured it to check whether it complies with airline size rules. I believe that you should be able to take your I1 batteries as carry on luggage provided they are protected from short circuiting (insulating tape and LiPo bag). I have attached the FAA guidelines on LiPo batteries on aircraft. The UK should be similar. However, I would check with your airline and get their answer in writing/email to carry through security.

HAIBristol · Jun 15, 2015

Hi the DJI Inspire batteries are 99.9 Volts so this should be legal to take on board as hand luggage, but always check with your airline.

Jeroen van Craaikamp · Jun 15, 2015

The regular TB47 (4700 mAh, 99.9Wh) Inspire-1 batteries may only be taken on a flight as hand luggage. The TB48 (5700 mAh, 128,8 Wh) batteries may not travel on a plane at all (FAA max. is 100 Wh). Please note that the I1 controllers also have LiPo's. I recommend to take them with you in hand luggage as well. When taking batteries on board, officially you should put a tape on the connectors of the batteries. I recommend you put them in a separate case with foam padding between the sides and between the batteries, e.g. something like this:

If you don't mind carrying a bit more weight you could buy something like this for your LiPo's:

Officially, Inspire-1 Drone in its kit case is too big for hand-luggage, hence it needs to be stowed in luggage store. Most Flight Cases are kind of useless if you are flying with a commercial airline. With regards to acceptable size, there are exceptions per airline; please contact the airline.

lrwskyfilms · Jun 16, 2015

Thanks for the info, will await answers from airport.

andreweio1 · Jun 16, 2015

Hi

I posted a couple of weeks ago my experiences flying to Australia. Basically going through Heathrow they were very interested in the LiPo batteries but as I had a letter from Qantas stating the batteries were okay they let me through with them as hand luggage. In LiPo safe bags. Which is the only way you are allowed to travel with them.

The return trip I had issues with security in Dubai. as they would not let them through. Eventually the airline took them through for me and handed back on the aircraft.

The result being that even when the airlines state you can, there is still airport security who can confiscate the batteries. So my advise is get an email from your airline stating they are okay and if security stop you, get the airline to bypass the security as they have issued you with a confirmation that you can travel with them.

As for cases , I bought a hard flight case and checked it into the hold. Unless you are flying in business on a more simpathetic airline like Emirates I doubt you would get the standard case onboard but I have seen posts where some people have.

I hope this helps

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

lrwskyfilms · Jun 16, 2015

Many thanks, and I was going to fly in Spain, but that looks a no-no, I thought their rules were relaxed obviously not that much. Cheers Mark

The Editor · Jun 16, 2015

Jeroen van Craaikamp said:
The regular TB47 (4700 mAh, 99.9Wh) Inspire-1 batteries may only be taken on a flight as hand luggage. The TB48 (5700 mAh, 128,8 Wh) batteries may not travel on a plane at all (FAA max. is 100 Wh). Please note that the I1 controllers also have LiPo's. I recommend to take them with you in hand luggage as well. When taking batteries on board, officially you should put a tape on the connectors of the batteries. I recommend you put them in a separate case with foam padding between the sides and between the batteries, e.g. something like this:

If you don't mind carrying a bit more weight you could buy something like this for your LiPo's:

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Officially, Inspire-1 Drone in its kit case is too big for hand-luggage, hence it needs to be stowed in luggage store. Most Flight Cases are kind of useless if you are flying with a commercial airline. With regards to acceptable size, there are exceptions per airline; please contact the airline.

I am sorry but this is WRONG INFORMATION!.

Up to two (2) Lithium Ion/Polymer batteries of over 100 watt hours but less than 160Wh may be carried on commercial flights providing they are carried in hand luggage and are protected from short circuit etc.
Any number of packs less than 100Wh can be carried (again in hand luggage) with usual precautions.

I usually have all my batteries at storage levels (3.85v per cell/50%) for traveling.

lrwskyfilms · Jun 16, 2015

Yes agree the FAA and CAA have different rules. Here's link; http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=2200&pageid=14501

So me carrying on 2x48's and 2x47's would be fine if terminals taped over and in Lipo bags.

The Editor · Jun 16, 2015

lrwskyfilms said:
Yes agree the FAA and CAA have different rules. Here's link; http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=2200&pageid=14501

So me carrying on 2x48's and 2x47's would be fine if terminals taped over and in Lipo bags.

Absolutely.......BUT...... do check with your individual carrier first and (if possible) get confirmation via email etc and carry that with you.

Also carry the CAA/FAA information with you in case a nice TSA individual is a bit clueless.

One thing to bear in mind though.... The security/TSA will have final say, so always be polite cos there's nothing worse than seeing someone out the corner of your eye walking towards you while putting a rubber glove on !!!

lrwskyfilms · Jun 16, 2015

LOL. Thx Editor but going to Spain, so hopefully customs will not as curt as the last TSA officials I met.

Jeroen van Craaikamp · Jun 16, 2015

I'm basing the information that I provided on the rules that i found in: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...edia/faa_airline_passengers_and_batteries.pdf.

If that is WRONG, then i'm an airplane

However, clearly FAA is not the only party making up rules. Indeed it is probably the best to ask the airline to send you a confirmation of their rules.

I tried getting such email from KLM but they needed 5 days notice to produce and I was flying 3 days after i send them the request. I took the risk, printed FAA rules and went to Schiphol airport. KLM, Al-Italia and Transavia all used/accepted FAA rules.

Maybe since then, rules have changed after the inspire batteries of a dutch fllm crew caught fire in the cabine, during flight.

lrwskyfilms · Jun 16, 2015

Thx for the link, but it was posted earlier, did you take I1 on board?

The Editor · Jun 16, 2015

Jeroen van Craaikamp said:
I'm basing the information that I provided on the rules that i found in: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...edia/faa_airline_passengers_and_batteries.pdf.

If that is WRONG, then i'm an airplane

However, clearly FAA is not the only party making up rules. Indeed it is probably the best to ask the airline to send you a confirmation of their rules.

I tried getting such email from KLM but they needed 5 days notice to produce and I was flying 3 days after i send them the request. I took the risk, printed FAA rules and went to Schiphol airport. KLM, Al-Italia and Transavia all used/accepted FAA rules.

Maybe since then, rules have changed after the inspire batteries of a dutch fllm crew caught fire in the cabine, during flight.

And the very pdf you attach clearly states that up to 2 x 160Wh batteries can be brought on as carry on (FAA/CAA do not differentiate between Lithium chemistry and class Lipo And LIon as one and the same.) The only thing that concerns them is the AMOUNT of lithium contained within the cells making up the pack.

Jeroen van Craaikamp · Jun 16, 2015

The Editor said:
And the very pdf you attach clearly states that up to 2 x 160Wh batteries can be brought on as carry on (FAA/CAA do not differentiate between Lithium chemistry and class Lipo And LIon as one and the same.) The only thing that concerns them is the AMOUNT of lithium contained within the cells making up the pack.

You are right, I missed that bit in the PDF. Thanks for correcting.

Jeroen van Craaikamp · Jun 16, 2015

lrwskyfilms said:
Thx for the link, but it was posted earlier, did you take I1 on board?

Yes, I have flown with batteries a couple of times now as hand-luggage. Always had to open the case, always found curious Airport staff, never had a real problem with them.
This summer i'm going to Italy and Greece and LiPo's don't like hot cars/boats. So I'll be using a padded cooling bag with lipobags and shoulder strap.
Inspire-1 goes into cargo hold. It's too big for hand-luggage.

lrwskyfilms · Jun 17, 2015

OK thx.

SteveE · Jun 17, 2015

Jeroen van Craaikamp said:
Yes, I have flown with batteries a couple of times now as hand-luggage. Always had to open the case, always found curious Airport staff, never had a real problem with them.
This summer i'm going to Italy and Greece and LiPo's don't like hot cars/boats. So I'll be using a padded cooling bag with lipobags and shoulder strap.
Inspire-1 goes into cargo hold. It's too big for hand-luggage.

I've also flown a couple of times and had no problems with batteries in carry-on in the US and once to the Caribbean. The airlines require them to be hand-carried.
I have a trip coming up shortly to Italy . Any known issues with checking an Inspire as baggage going to Italy?

Scotflieger · Jun 17, 2015

SteveE said:
I've also flown a couple of times and had no problems with batteries in carry-on in the US and once to the Caribbean. The airlines require them to be hand-carried.
I have a trip coming up shortly to Italy . Any known issues with checking an Inspire as baggage going to Italy?

If you are heading for Venice or Florence then you should know that both cities are no-fly zones.