Flying airlines with headset in carry-on?

CJones

CJones

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Looks like I will be taking the high-altitude cattle wagon this weekend. I'll be taking my headset with me.

Has anyone had any problems getting through security with this type of stuff on-hand? I'll be doing carry-on only and really don't have enough patience with stupid people to try to explain why I have an aviation headset in my bag if they push the matter.

Any ideas on whether it will be a problem or not?
 
It's pretty common. I don't think it'll be a problem. They probably aren't even smart enough to realize its a headset and will just think you have fancy headphones.
 
I've brought the whole flight bag- including a 2-way- several times. Only possible glitch is if you forget you have a tool or knife in there... d'oh. Somebody in te TSA got themselves a nice new Leatherman that way a while back. :rolleyes:
 
Done it many times. No issues, surprisingly enough. Nice to have the ANR's in-flight too.
 
rottydaddy said:
I've brought the whole flight bag- including a 2-way- several times.
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I have done it several times as well. No problem at all.


The only comment I ever got was when I was stuck in the back of the bus on Delta and they did not hand out noise cancelling headsets. I put on my DCs and was in bliss until a FA come and told me that I could not have a radio on. I thanked here for that info and stated that I knew that. She then said it again, I once again thanked her for that info and questioned the relevance. She thought I was wearing one of those 1970's headset radio thingies since I had raised the mic boom to be out of my mouth's way. I laughed told her it was an aviation headset and that was the microphone not an antenna and that sufficed.

The TSA has never questioned the headsets at all.
 
B-I-L told me a story: He had forgotten he had a knife, so he stashed it somewhere in the mens room. It was still there a week later when he returned. Better than giving it to a TSA goon.
 
Steve Foley said:
B-I-L told me a story: He had forgotten he had a knife, so he stashed it somewhere in the mens room. It was still there a week later when he returned. Better than giving it to a TSA goon.
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I tried that when I was late for a flight and forgot my engraved pocket knife that my dad had given me. I was even ready to leave it in a locker for the few days I was gone. There are NO lockers outside the security area. Unfortuantely, the knife was gone when I got back. I was bummed.

John
 
To echo everyone else, it's no problem. I fly every 2 weeks for work and always carry on my flight bag with headset and flight gear. I've never been questioned. Even carried on my helmet and helmet bag full of gear once and it wasn't given a second look.
 
I've not been questioned about the headsets but TSA sure was curious why I had sectional charts and an AF/D. One TSA agent was curious but nice about it as she was satisfied after a short conversation Another TSA agent at a different airport pulled me aside to wait for 2 of his supervisors to arrive and interrogate me.
 
I remember in 2004 when I bought my plane. I flew commercially to go pick it up. I had a one way ticket, and just a backpack with sectional charts, headset, and a gps. Not even a second look. I wonder if that would be different now.
 
i do this all the time... i did it today (charts and gps, no headset) never any problems... i did get my leatherman confiscated once! ughhhh i forgot it was there.... i loved that thing
 
mattaxelrod said:
I remember in 2004 when I bought my plane. I flew commercially to go pick it up. I had a one way ticket, and just a backpack with sectional charts, headset, and a gps. Not even a second look. I wonder if that would be different now.
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No, it's not different now, at least as of Monday, when I flew ABQ to GGG to puck up my plane at Maxwell's. Included in the bag were a Garmin 396 GPS and handheld radio.

Jon
 
mattaxelrod said:
I remember in 2004 when I bought my plane. I flew commercially to go pick it up. I had a one way ticket, and just a backpack with sectional charts, headset, and a gps. Not even a second look. I wonder if that would be different now.
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You're vastly overestimating the TSA if you think they could pick up on any of that. The screeners don't know that you have a one way ticket. They don't know what's in your backpack. They can't distinguish a GPS from a "portable media player" (BTDT). They'd be doing better than average if they found your Leatherman that you had forgotten in your pilot bag.

You have to take your expectations of the TSA and divide by 10 to arrive at their actual level of competence.

-Felix
 
A few times, I've taken my ANR Flightcom Denali's onboard in a carry on, TSA had a cow. They ran the bag twice, then did the hand inspection, at which point they asked me to flip the switch on the unit, in order to prove it wasn't a bomb. Anymore, I know its going to happen, and go ahead and tell them what it is before hand, to avoid the cluster of 10 people looking at my bag.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
A few times, I've taken my ANR Flightcom Denali's onboard in a carry on, TSA had a cow. They ran the bag twice, then did the hand inspection, at which point they asked me to flip the switch on the unit, in order to prove it wasn't a bomb. Anymore, I know its going to happen, and go ahead and tell them what it is before hand, to avoid the cluster of 10 people looking at my bag.
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You should buy some David Clarks then. My DC ANRs have never tripped the alarm with TSA. Must be something suspicious about Flightcom?
 
mattaxelrod said:
I remember in 2004 when I bought my plane. I flew commercially to go pick it up. I had a one way ticket, and just a backpack with sectional charts, headset, and a gps. Not even a second look. I wonder if that would be different now.
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classic story about a midwest glider pilot who flew from chicago area to somewhere near indianapolis. he managed to hitch a ride to the big airport and walked up to the counter to get a plane ticket back to chicago. he didnt have a crew and would come after the glider in a few days.

he was carrying his parachute and a barograph, which is a an altitude recording device that operates on a wind up clock mechanism and makes a classic ticktickticktickticktick sound. he asks for a one way ticket to chicago. no one even bats an eye. this was back in the late 60s or early 70s. these days he would probably be tackled and hauled off to jail.
 
handheld radio, headset, portable gps, charts, plates, no problem

i did have to ship the Ox bottle ups empty
 
ScottM said:
You should buy some David Clarks then. My DC ANRs have never tripped the alarm with TSA. Must be something suspicious about Flightcom?
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I guess they just didn't like the looks of it. I had it in the protective carry case they came with, which is lined with foam. Plus the shape of the battery box is very rectangular, and uses a 9V. In any case, its not that big of deal, and I'm sure as heck not spending money on another set just to please the TSA. I've never had an issue with it at the non-TSA manned security checkpoints, which are always more pleasant to deal with.
 
I think it depends on where you are at. I have a friend who delivers helicopters around the country. He gets questioned all the time, but it may be because of the flight bag and the one way ticket.
 
I'm another one with no problems- a trip to California in late 2002 and one to Hawaii last year- no problems.
 
Do it all the time. No problem. And on the Dash-8's out of SBY, I wear it, with the ANR turned on -- again, no problem.
 
I had my fuel tester and my empty o2 bottle taken by tsa idiots in las vegas.....after I ferried a plane out there.
 
ScottM said:
Any pressure cylinder is not allowed on airplanes except with special permission. The fuel tester is a little strange. Did it have residue in it?
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ya I got schooled on the cylinder(I will never forget the look on TSA's face when I told them what it was) but the airline said it was ok...I didnt even think about it until I was checking in.....but anyway they said the tester was to long.

ended up giving the cylinder away to the buyer of the sr-22 I used to fly.
 
sba55 said:
You're vastly overestimating the TSA if you think they could pick up on any of that. The screeners don't know that you have a one way ticket. They don't know what's in your backpack. They can't distinguish a GPS from a "portable media player" (BTDT). They'd be doing better than average if they found your Leatherman that you had forgotten in your pilot bag.

You have to take your expectations of the TSA and divide by 10 to arrive at their actual level of competence.

-Felix
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That normally seems the case, but FWIW, the exceptions are impressive.
The one time my flight bag did get scrutinized (because of the multitool), I was waiting at the end of the checkpoint, putting my shoes back on, etc., when one of the agents said "whose flight bag is this?" He hadn't opened it yet, but knew what it was.

The inspection itself was brief, professional and courteous... he even reminded me that I could, if I had time, go back and get the tool shipped.
Of course I didn't have time to go do that and get back in line to be screened all over again, but it was nice that he mentioned it. There was no eye-rolling or any of that nonsense, either... I've definitely seen this sort of professionalism in the TSA ranks elsewhere, but I certainly agree that it's not the norm.
 
I've taken my flight bag with me a couple of times. No problem at all. Last time I flew in Hawaii I just took the headset and a couple other items (sectional, etc). No questions there, either.
 
ScottM said:
It had a screwdriver on the end?
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The shot glass size fuel tester with a metal rod in the middle is the only thing that has given me problems with TSA...

That and my Flight Safety 'crew' tag. I actually had a TSA agent ask me who I flew for - I told them a private company. She demanded to know who and I told her it was really none of her business. Her response was if you don't fly for an airline you are not allowed to have a crew tag on your bag. :rofl:
 
Speed said:
Her response was if you don't fly for an airline you are not allowed to have a crew tag on your bag. :rofl:
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I think I might have to buy some of them:D
 
Except for one guy I know who retired from the airline, flew often with me in the Cessna, and was hired by the TSA, I don't think anyone working there could distinguish an aviation headset from stereo boom blasters. It says BOSE on it, right?

I've traveled all over the US with my flight bag, including everything you would imagine in a flight bag but leaving out my feel-good 12-oz Halon fire bottle and Leatherman tool. No problems so far.

Of course, I don't own a parachute....:smile:
 
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