Taking a scope on a plane... how do you do it ?

[Vox45]

So, how do you travel on a plane with a scope ? All tips, horror stories, do's and dont's are welcome

So far I know that, in France at least, you can get a passport for your gear to prove on your return that you had it before leaving the country.

Also, what are the risks of putting your case in the cargo hold of the plane ? I guess I should take the OTA with me as a cabin luggage.

... and don't get me started on the price of the Pelican Case !

[nicoscy]

Well, your C6 can go in a decent backpack as size wise it is overhead luggage.

Just factor for a decent backpack with enough room and spaces for diagonal, finder, eyepieces and the usual accoutrements (passport, wallet, phone, charger e.t.c.).

Do not even think of the cargo hold! The risk is too great. Unless you have a scope that is not overhead luggage compatible, which is another story.

Taking with you the invoice of purchase of the telescope should suffice I think for customs purposes.

Nice thread, looking forward to reading feedback on this issue as well.

[Vox45]

Nice tips I will take the OTA with me that's for sure.

I am also worried about the mount/tripod and accessories (EP, cables, power supplies, etc) These will need to go in the cargo hold   

[nicoscy]

Well, carry as much as your backpack will allow without going overweight, make sure everything is wrapped up pretty well to avoid scrapes but yes, the rest is "cargo hold material"

[DirkSteele]

I have taken telescopes abroad a number of times.  All of them are carry-on sized.  I would not want to risk a fragile OTA to the whims of a baggage handler who is have a bad / normal day!

The largest scope I have taken is the APM TMB 105 triplet Apo.  It weighs approximately 6kg and the minimum size for transportation is 19.4" (17.4" if you remove the focuser) so it will fit in luggage that complies with cabin baggage allowances.  The smallest I have taken is the Takahashi FS-60 at only 1.3kg and 12" long.

One thing to mindful of is weight limits as well as size.  While I have never seen a cabin bag weighed, some airlines have more restrictive limits such as 7kg or 10kg total weight limit.  Some airlines like British Airways only require you be able to lift it into the overhead bins unaided.  I think the smaller the bag you have the less likely you are to be challenged.  For example, the below kit including bag itself weighed just over 8kg but my Air Namibia flight had a limit of 7kg.  Smaller bag that looked like a regular backpack and no one even took a second look.

Tripods and mounts I have checked in my suitcase.  Eyepieces and other fragile equipment come in the cabin.  Some airlines also permit a handbag or laptop bag as well as main cabin bag.  Consider this to carry any fragile accessories you cannot fit in the main bag.

As for issues with the scopes.  No one from customs has ever challenged me on ownership and potential taxes.  I did see security do a double take on the APM 105 at Heathrow on the X-Ray when I took it to Oman in 2012 but nothing more.  The Tak 60 just looks like a large camera lens and no one in Africa or the UK took a second look.  The only place where I was questioned was in Oman on the way back to the UK.  They opened the bag and looked down the OTA but that was it.

[ollypenrice]

Obviously carry-on is best. You may also be able to book a seat for your scope as musicians sometimes do for their instruments. Not the cheapest option! I have put scopes in the hold (refractors) a few times without issue and have flown with my bicycle in the hold about 60 times without any real horror stories. But they happen. Your scope almost certainly arrived in your country in the hold of an aeroplane...

Olly

[D4N]

Not necessarily, the vast majority of all freight goes by sea. It doesn't make economical sense to airfreight consumer goods as it adds too much to the price.

Saying that I have put my travel scope in the hold and it was fine, but I did pack it very well, I could have launched the case out of my first floor window and ithe scope would have been ok

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[RikM]

I have taken scopes on plane trips a couple of times. Similar to Matthew, the OTA, ether ST80 or TV Pronto together with a couple of eyepieces and diagonal came with me as hand luggage. The tripod went in the big case in the hold.

I got challenged once on carry-on bag weight in Turkey. I had my laptop in my camera bag along with a bunch of lenses and other gubbins and was about 1.5kg over the 7kg limit. The nice lady behind the check in counter told me to put the biggest lens on the camera body and sling that round my neck, and put the book I was reading in my coat pocket. The bag was then under the weight limit and I was allow to travel without further delay. Didn't make any sense but who am I to argue with the rules of the airline

[happy-kat]

Did the same once put a heavy laptop battery in my pocket but why not I weight half what most passengers do so a kilo in my pocket was nothing extra.

My ST80 goes in a rucksack as hand luggage with choice eyepiece. Tripod went in hold glad that was one way took up huge amount of space.

[Peter Drew]

I took my C8 OTA on it's one way trip to Tenerife wrapped in a sleeping bag in a soft case as hold luggage. Arrived safely but I made sure I caught the bag as it fell off the conveyor on to the carousel! I have also taken refractors and unscrewed the objectives to take as hand luggage for reassembly on arrival. It can be useful to attach a manufacturers picture and specs of the telescope to the bag so that the Xray image tallies.  

[nicoscy]

I would never take a Cassegrain as hold luggage. Luggage as a rule is never handled gently and the corrector plate on a Cass is quite fragile, plus expensive to replace...

[Vox45]

My idea is to modify the case I got my C6 in (a skywatcher case)

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-aluminium-hard-case-for-skymax-150-nexstar-6-se.html

and try and fit my Sirius EQ-G mount + DSLR and EP in it. This would go in the cargo hold. I would take the OTA in a carry-on bag. Hopefully the case would handle the weight if not dropped from 30 feet

I'd hate to have to buy a 500€ Pelican case ... i'd rather spend the money on EP

[Donkeiller]

Whatever you do don't travel with a scope on Ryanair!!!

Just my $0.02 worth.

But bitter rexperience.