[Elecraft] Airport security

[JA Crux]

Interesting. It varies from place to place. I took my K2 to ZS6, on 12/11. Not 
a good time to travel anywhere. The local airport was in total chaos ... NO 
hand baggage allowed on most flights (but not all - why ?) except for plastic 
carrier bags (MUST be see-thru)  and those were searched firstly by x-ray, 
then again by hand in the boarding tunnel.  But nobody actually had any see 
thru bags for us to use !    I managed to scrounge several regular 
supermarket carrier bags and nested them together for added strength.
I wrapped the K2 in my newspaper and a shirt, stuck it in the bag and they 
allowed me to carry it on board. 
But at Amsterdam, nobody cared. Straight thru the x-ray machine, no questions 
and I was on the way to ZS6.  Leaving ZS6 a week later I did have to explain 
(briefly) what the K2 was, but it still went as carry-on baggage.

This year I brought home a load of suspicious looking stuff (another K2, and 
miscellaneous goodies including 100 ft of ladderline, a reel of copper wire 
etc)  from Dayton - with zero problems. My colleague was allowed to hand 
carry a muti-section military whip antenna in a UPS mailing tube, even tho we 
fully expected it to be a checked baggage item.   

I think the problems are over-stated. But I suggest you NEVER try to declare 
up front that you have any specific electronic goodies with you. I did that 
once with my TenTec OMNI-V (long before 9/11) and I was virtually arrested 
(at Philly.)  I had to open the rig up in front of the captain of the 747 so 
he could tell the airport guys that he was comfortable with having it on 
board under my seat. Fortunately he had a screwdriver .....
In the meantime I watched other folk carrying ghetto blasters, tape recorders 
and even a small TV set thru with no questions asked. I should have done the 
same, just shoved it on the x-ray belt and walked thru. 

Don't look for trouble. Wait till they ask. After all the hassle with the Omni 
V,  I have always taken the low key approach. I even took a Hercules II 
linear all the way from here to Tennessee and back, but only one person asked 
me to open my carry on bag. The inspector took one look and then said OK.  I 
did check with Customs, but they told me to just walk thru and say nothing 
when I got back to UK.. 
 
John G3JAG