I am planning on going on a trip soon and taking my phantom with me and would like to hear if anyone has had any issues carrying the phantom onto a plane in the US. Any experiences are welcome, I just want to avoid showing up at the airport and having the unforseen occur. Thanks!

Yug Posted at 2015-2-21 07:54
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Kill the penguin

I would suggest that you call your airline and ask for their specific guidelines.  It may vary.  I have read a lot of differing opinions.

Do not fly with an empty lipo! By law, you may be requested to turn on your phantom to prove functionality. The last time I flew they did a drug/explosive swipe test on the body shell and lipo. No problems taking it into the cabin. If the LIPO would for some reason cause fire, you'd want that lipo in the cabin and not hidden in the luggage department underneath.

I flew Baton Rouge to Denver on American Airlines. No issues at security, they didn't even open the case. The TSA specialist I spoke to on the phone gave me the go ahead to fly with it and the extra batteries. My only problem was my hard case, wouldn't fit in the overhead so I had to gate check it. That wasn't a big deal. The big deal was on the second leg of my flight to Denver, no gate checks there. So I had to hand it over to them and they assured me it would be at baggage claim. Long story short, It was lost, briefly. I did get it back. My advice to you is to get a soft backpack case so you can get it into the overhead bin

If you have to check your Phantom case, it would be a good idea to pack the space around your camera/gimbal with foam packing peanuts. If your gimbal lock comes loose, your gimbal might be damaged if the case is thrown around.

shaftonhaney... Posted at 2015-2-21 22:19
I flew Baton Rouge to Denver on American Airlines. No issues at security, they didn't even open the  ...

Good advice, I already have a soft case so I will plan on carrying on my P2V+ on the plane along with 2 batteries. Will let anyone know if I have issue. Thanks!

Des Moines in January  from Jacksonville Fl with a stop in Charlotte,  had zero problems with TSA. Used a cheap (Chinese) Phantom backpack to carry on board the plane, will do again!

I have never had an issue traveling with my Phantoms or my Inspire.  I will state for the record that I only fly SWA.