Airport Adventure

[Johnny O]

So I get to the Pittsburgh Airport to fly away here. Have my firearm packed in my checked bag as per TSA regulations. Unloaded, locked hard sided case, etc. I declare my firearm at the USA3000 ticket counter as per TSA regulations. USA3000 counter guy tells me that they do not allow firearms even in checked bags. I check the fine print in my e-ticket printout, sure enough there is it. Okay, my fault for assuming they have the same rules as every other airline. I have time to put my gun case back in my car, no problem. Besides, getting into an argument that I will lose anyway is a sure trip to the airport security office. Get back to ticket counter, I draw the same guy. "No problem, you're just doing your job, but you should talk to your supervisor about changing the sign." What sign? "The one right in front of me on your counter from the TSA that says how to check firearms, which BTW I had followed to the letter." Dude walks around the counter to look at the sign. Hmmm. It's their airline, they can do what they want just like I can fly another airline from now on.

I sent an email to the Airport Authority requesting that they see to it that USA3000 replaces the TSA's poster with one of their own that says no firearms permitted on this airline. [/rant]

I expect I'll get extra-special attention every time I go through security at the airport now and it'll be nice to sit next to Coastie or his buds on the plane.

 

[Gypsy me]

lol Johnny O you are in the spotlight now what a drag, and isn't it amazing how a customer service rep does not know their surrounding well enough to see a sign right under their very nose!

CoastieJ, has never been on any of my flights, but I have seen a few of his buddies

 

[Kevin Palmer]

The issue is, they are a chartered airline. Because of that, they are run in a totally different manner and have many different rules and regs that others may or may not have.



They are not chartered in the sense that most think, but they are a chartered airline. They simply do all the work in house much like a normal airline.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

Johnny,

Do you work for a police station or something like that?



If so, the top man of your station can write a letter that says you need your weapon at the destination you are traveling to. This will allow it to be on your person as opposed to packing it in the checked baggage.



The same letter will allow you to travel back to where you came from.

 

[Johnny O]

Johnny,

Do you work for a police station or something like that?

No, and I don't have any connections since my great-uncle passed away.

No biggie, now I know this and I will simply fly a different airline when possible. Again, my fault totally for not checking their policy. My issue is that they apparently changed the policy but not the posters on their ticket counter.

I know USA3000 started out as a charter airline but I was not aware they can have different rules. Hard to beat their prices though. Thanks for the info Coastie.

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

CJ...I have a friend his name is Brian Scott. He has to check-in with the airline counter every time he flies because he is on a "Watched" list because of his name.

 

[Robert Thomas]

 

[Robert Thomas]

Before I retired and before 911 I used to carry a firearm on the plane all the time related to work. At that time it was up to the plane captain if he would allow it. Some would require it in baggage. The airline could always do what they wanted. Quite a few times we walked off the plane and found another flight, because some would mark you baggage with a big red tag "firearm inside". These days I drive.

 

[Gary Kong]

Actually just being an active LEO is not enough to qualify to carry on-board any more. Used to be cool, just fill out the papers, show badge & ID, they call your station to verify and on board you go. The only downside was that you were not eligible for an in-flight cocktail.



Now, you have to articulate a reason why you need the firearm on your person while in flight. Usually good reasons include engaging in police business at the destination airport, going immediately from destination with no check in luggage to a location where you will engage in police work, etc.



There are some exceptions, but for a local cop that's the current FYI.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

Eltree, that is correct.



That is why I said he MUST have a letter to justify it being on his person.



I fly 5 days a week armed and deal with every Tom Dick and Harry that THINKS they can simply board a plane with their weapon...



Two days ago I had the Sheriff, not someone that works for the Sheriff, but the Sheriff of a very large county from NJ and he did not have a letter. He felt as he was the Sheriff that he would be writing his own letter and saw no sense in that. Come to find out, it was not on his person and he did not have a reason to have it on his person.



We dealt with it and went on from there..

 

[TomT]

Maybe if you didn't show up at the airport with that turban on your head they wouldn't have hassled you.

 

[Gary Kong]

It was always the alarm clock and car flares that got them all huffy.

 

[Tom Schindler]

On a totally different situation, but the same airline, let me share my story.



My wife and I were leaving for Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We are flying out of Cleveland Hopkins. I get that red "SSSS" on my ticket. I know what "SSSS" means, but it is 4AM and I am still not alive. I get pulled for my special security check. I open my bags, run my laptop through the X-Ray, I get frisked, the whole metal detector thing. I then get my bag checked for explosives. The swab my bag, good to go. The swap my laptop, no problem. They scan my shoes.



Explosives detected. Nitro! Thinking back, I wore these same shoes to the NHRA Drag Races earlier in the year. Dragsters and Funny Cars burn "Nitromethane". That is where they picked up the nitro on my shoes.



After some explinations, more frisking, more X-Rays, etc. I was told I could go on.



Moral of the story, if you like drag racing and like to go to the races, do not wear those shoes to fly in.





Tom

 

[Johnny O]

Explosives detected. Nitro! Thinking back, I wore these same shoes to the NHRA Drag Races earlier in the year. Dragsters and Funny Cars burn "Nitromethane". That is where they picked up the nitro on my shoes.

Wow. I guess those things really do work. :lol:

Friend of mine is a DEA agent. He says he often gets bumped up to first class and gets to be an "honorary" sky marshal.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

My turn...



I went t the range about two weeks ago. Shot off 450 rounds. Got home to late to clean my weapon and went to work the next day. While hanging out in the airport between flight, I get a dog that sits on me...



Once I showed my credentials all was fine. But it was weird to have a dog hit on gunpowder as few are trained to hit on powder...

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

Yeah, I heard of the Nitro thing with Drag Racers in the past. Especially, since NHRA holds an event here in Seattle.

 

[Todd Cloutier]

Coastie - It depends on the powder, but many small arms powder contain nitroglycerine as one of the constituents.



One of our engineers had his briefcase flagged a while back. Turns out he had it in the firing range. He probably had some residue on his hands, and then picked up the briefcase.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

I have no doubt that I had residue...



I shot off 450 rounds plus helped pick up the range when we were done.



I probably handled well over a thousand rounds... LOL

 

[CountyMounty]

Good to know. I'll have to remember not to wear the same clothes or boots on my upcoming flight in May. I leave the day after we have our semi-annual firearms quals. I also make sure to take a extra long shower but as good as a K-9 can be that still might not be enough.



As for LEO's and firearms on flights it is my understanding that it is now very rare for any officer, other than a federal one, to be allowed to carry a firearm on a flight. Last year I almost got the chance to fly out to Nevada with a State DEA officer and bring back a prisoner arrested on our warrant. The date got postponed a couple times and I ended up not going but when we were looking into it we were not going to be able to carry firearms on board (note neither my Sheriff or his supervisor were going to lie in a letter to say we NEEDED to carry them on board, because we really didn't)

Coastiejoe I've always wondered if when flying I should identify myself as an LEO just as an FYI to the crew, in Boston two years ago when a security screener saw my badge when I was getting out my ID I think it actually got me extra screening, lol.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

Firedog.



I would say at least once a week I have people bringing a prison to or from someplace. And only in RARE cases have they not been armed. I suppose it has to do with the seriousness of the prisoner. The transports are 50/50. By that. 50% Federal and 50% city or state level.



As you said, Federal do not need any reason, if they are flying they are allowed to carry and need no letter, simply their creds.



As far as ID'ing yourself as a LEO, I believe that the flight attendants would like to know this as they will come to you if there is an issue, being it a safety issue with the plane or a person.



They always use us whenever there is a safety issue simply because they think we will be more relaxed and handle the situation in the event it becomes a large issue, (crash landing to mentally unbalanced person).