Hello to all
Having just bought a phantom 4 and wanting to use it when on holiday in Thailand I am being told that I may not be able to take it with me as the airlines will not allow the batteries on board. Has anyone else come across this problem if so any advice.

You should be able to take as many as you want P4 batteries on board unless the airline has their own rules.
And since it's international, this may not but here's the FAQ's from the FAA website.

You are right Ken, but, and its a big but, all airlines are allowed to make there own decissions on whether they allow even passengers. I travel a lot and I have gotten on a plane in one state with bags n such, and when I leave another state with same stuff, I have been forced to mail things they didnt seem acceptable for there planes to carry, or throw them away. It seems its all in the hands of the security staff u meet up with. I have had these troubles on connection flights as well, and it leaves u a little scrambly to make sure ur stuff is shipped to u, n u make ur plane on time as they will not correct it if u miss ur flight... this has happened to me over a laptop once, so I am not surprised over a drone... its a flip of a coin I guess

I just flew last week with four P4 batteries. I had them discharged having 20% energy for each battery, packed in lipo bags with the contacts covered with black electric tape. When I went through TSA, they took my bag aside and asked if they could swab it. No big deal. Both airports (going to and from my destination) did this procedure. This tells me that they're doing their job and catching this. Both experiences were very pleasant and they knew what they were dealing with. They even said that I did everything right by taping the contacts and packing them in a lipo safe bag. That being said, when I went to the gate, I did not tell my airline gate agent that I was carrying batteries (like the guy that was removed from his Southwest Airline flight). Yes, ever airline is different BUT the people you have to pass inspection is the TSA. The airline doesn't need to know your business. Yes, each airline has their own rules but they don't inspect bags at the gate. In addition, I always keep a laminated copy of the TSA regulations on carrying batteries in my bag just in case these TSA agents don't know their own rules. So everyone should ask themselves this question: "Does the TSA inspect your carry on bags? Or does the airline inspect your carry on bags? Or do they both inspect your carry on bags?"

DFWdude4DJI Posted at 2016-6-29 18:46
I just flew last week with four P4 batteries. I had them discharged having 20% energy for each batte ...

Thanks for the information I will get the kit together and a copy of the rules to take with me.

Thanks for the information I will get the bags and the rest of the kit together and take a copy of the rules with me.

Just took a round trip from Oregon to Maui using this carry-on case.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/produc ... 2_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I had 3 batteries with me all discharged to 50% and went thru TSA carry-on xray with no issues. Both tsa screeners (Medford and Maui) thought it was kinda cool, likely the first time they scanned one. Neither asked me to open or scrutinize the contents although I offered.

Flew out on United and back on Alaska stowing it in the cabin overhead compartment no problemo. Neither airline even asked me to measure or look at the contents of the case at the gate so I didnt offer. If they would have I would have truthfully replied "my camera"......

Dont ask, dont tell I guess

mjanzou@gmail.c Posted at 2016-6-30 03:11
Just took a round trip from Oregon to Maui using this carry-on case.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod ...

One more piece of advice, when airline travelling you should fully discharge the battery.
http://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/p ... _Guidelines__en.pdf

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-6-30 07:12
One more piece of advice, when airline travelling you should fully discharge the battery.
http://d ...

No airline or airport security check ever asks you to discharge the battery or use Lipo bags/
This is a myth spread by DJI and forums based on the IATA rules for shipping lipo batteries as cargo/
It does not apply to batteries carried on by passengers.

Has anyone ever had airport security staff ever check discharge state of a battery?

So much misinformation out there.
Simple solution is to go to your airline's website and search for batteries to see their requirements.
If they won't let you take them, it will be the first one I've heard of.

I would follow labroides advice and check with your airline prior to the trip, as their rules may vary.

I could be wrong, but didn't someone post about new regulations in Thailand that only registered journalists were allowed to fly drones there?

Might be worth doing a forum search here and at phantompilots.com

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-6-30 06:20
No airline or airport security check ever asks you to discharge the battery or use Lipo bags/
This ...

I did not say it's an airline requirement, It's a wise thing to do just to be safer.

Old Geezer Posted at 2016-6-30 00:32
I could be wrong, but didn't someone post about new regulations in Thailand that only registered jou ...

Yes my wife pointed that one out to me. It looks like a reason for the local police to get hold of a free drone.

Reply to old Geezer
My wife pointed that one out to me and I looked it up. By the look of it the Thai authorities have passed a law that makes it legal for the police to steel your drone in other words they have made it so difficult to fly legally that they got you. But as usual with this type of law the tourist areas will be hardest hit so I will keep to secluded out of the way places and fingers crossed I will be ok.

stephen.staplet Posted at 2016-7-2 15:15
Reply to old Geezer
My wife pointed that one out to me and I looked it up. By the look of it the Th ...

Let me know how you get on - my wife's Thai so when we go back for a visit, I'd like to take the drone with us but don't want it confiscated.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-6-29 17:39
I did not say it's an airline requirement, It's a wise thing to do just to be safer.

If there was any scientific support of this notion, don't you think the FAA would have defined that in their recommendations?

Who knows, perhaps under certain conditions a defective battery is more likely to ignite in a fully discharged state......??? wouldn't surprise me any.....

But I'm certainly not a LiPo battery chemical physicist, r u?

mjanzou@gmail.c Posted at 2016-7-2 20:35
If there was any scientific support of this notion, don't you think the FAA would have defined tha ...

It's in the download pages of the DJI aircraft Flight Safety Guidelines.

I recently flew Hong Kong to Los Angeles and onwards to Kahului in Maui and return. I took my new Phantom 4 with three batteries as hand luggage in the cabin. Absolutely no problem whatsoever with multiple airlines and different country airport security. Most airlines publish guidelines about the number and AH limits on the carriage of Lion batteries. The most important thing is that you carry them in your hand luggage and DO NOT CHECK Lion batteries into the hold of an aircraft. I am a commercial pilot based in Hong Kong and can tell you with absolute authority that this is the case with all airlines.
Interestingly, to legally fly in the USA you need to register your drone with the FAA. A simple cost effective process that can be completed online through the FAA website once you have arrived in the USA. I also wanted to fly off Kanaha Beach which is within the restricted zone of Kahului Airport. The first problem is that the P4 is geo-fenced and will not take off in a restricted zone. However, it is permitted provided you operate for recreational purposes only (your drone in then classed as a model aircraft) and you seek the permission of the local ATC control tower. In consultation with DJI they were able to send me a modified DJI-Go App which gave me a licence to fly in the zone provided all the necessary papers were signed etc. Once all this was completed and contact made with the Kahului tower I was good to go.