Any tips for flying with firearms?

[wanneroo]

I'm flying next week across the country and taking a handgun and ammo with me in my checked luggage. I've been reading through the rules but if anyone has done this before and has any tips I'd be glad to hear them.

I bought a Seahorse case for the pistol and 2 master locks for it that are keyed the same. I'm also bringing a lockable Plano ammo can for some ammo and shooting supplies for the match. The outer bag will be locked with one of the TSA compliant locks.

[Aggies Coach]

I fly home to Florida a few times a year and check a firearm in every time. I always call ahead to check on the airlines policy on Firearms. I double and triple check to make sure I dont have any spare ammo in the case the firearm is in. When you check you luggage in, tell the person at the counter you need to declare a firearm and follow their instructions. Easy peasy.

[ungawa]

I fly home to Florida a few times a year and check a firearm in every time. I always call ahead to check on the airlines policy on Firearms. I double and triple check to make sure I dont have any spare ammo in the case the firearm is in. When you check you luggage in, tell the person at the counter you need to declare a firearm and follow their instructions. Easy peasy.

Neither TSA nor federal law cares if there is ammo in the case. Ammo must be "contained," such as in an ammo box or loaded in a magazine that has a magazine cover on it. I've had TSA tell me to put in ammo in my pistol case, I forget exactly why.

At least one airline, USAir (are they still in business?) doesn't want ammo in the gun case. Never run into that with any other airline.

So I check the TSA website for updates and the rules on the airline website, print both out and put in my carry-on.

Also the gun case must have a NON-TSA UNAPPROVED lock. It is OK to lock that case inside your luggage with a TSA-approved lock.

I check handgunlaw.us and whatever sources I trust to see the legality of arming up in the destination airport bathroom before I leave.

Do not fly into or out of NJ or NY airports. US 3rd Circuit says FOPA does not protect you against state laws taking a locked and case gun from your car to airline baggage check, and NY likes to question and bust people. At least some times. CA is fine. I tend to avoid connections in very anti-gun states in case I get stranded and want my luggage. I avoided Chicago, but their laws have changed so much I will have to check next time it is an option.

[wanneroo]

I purposely set up my travel to avoid any unfriendly states so I'll be driving 4 hours plus to Pittsburgh and flying out of there and then transiting through Dallas, TX. Typically I would fly out of Elmira, NY. I looked at State College and Williamsport but neither airport was working with my schedule, so Pittsburgh it is. It's a bit of a drive but I can spend some time with family and stop at a few gun shops along the way.

My understanding is that although FOPA should technically protect me if I fly through New York State, the state doesn't follow that and they'll arrest you when you check in at the airport and declare your firearm.

[wanneroo]

Neither TSA nor federal law cares if there is ammo in the case. Ammo must be "contained," such as in an ammo box or loaded in a magazine that has a magazine cover on it. I've had TSA tell me to put in ammo in my pistol case, I forget exactly why.

At least one airline, USAir (are they still in business?) doesn't want ammo in the gun case. Never run into that with any other airline.

Also the gun case must have a NON-TSA UNAPPROVED lock. It is OK to lock that case inside your luggage with a TSA-approved lock.

I only got one of the smaller single pistol cases so with the amount of ammo I am taking for the match, I have to store it separately anyways.

I also decided to get a loud signal yellow colored pistol case, so if someone was to nick it out of my bag it's going to stand out like a beacon and not be as easily concealed as a black one would be.

I got 2 little Master locks keyed the same for the gun case and both are non TSA locks.

[ungawa]

I purposely set up my travel to avoid any unfriendly states so I'll be driving 4 hours plus to Pittsburgh and flying out of there and then transiting through Dallas, TX. Typically I would fly out of Elmira, NY. I looked at State College and Williamsport but neither airport was working with my schedule, so Pittsburgh it is. It's a bit of a drive but I can spend some time with family and stop at a few gun shops along the way.

My understanding is that although FOPA should technically protect me if I fly through New York State, the state doesn't follow that and they'll arrest you when you check in at the airport and declare your firearm.

It does, they probably won't, but they sometimes do. FOPA does NOT protect you in NJ (3rd Circuit Ruling).

But why would you fly out of NY or Pittsburgh? I would assume Harrisburg and ABE in Lehigh Valley are closer. ABE parking is $7/day short term (cheaper long term) and you park a 300 foot walk from the checkin counter. Make sure you show up 20 minutes before your flight takes off so you can walk to the checkin, check your gun, and walk to the terminal Seriously, I would make sure to be there an hour early but you will ALWAYS be waiting half an hour at the terminal to board the plane. Always beats driving somewhere and hour closer (what is closer to you?) and waiting with a thousand smelly scumbags for 3 hours to make sure you are early enough.

[SevenMilePete]

Neither TSA nor federal law cares if there is ammo in the case. Ammo must be "contained," such as in an ammo box or loaded in a magazine that has a magazine cover on it. I've had TSA tell me to put in ammo in my pistol case, I forget exactly why.

At least one airline, USAir (are they still in business?) doesn't want ammo in the gun case. Never run into that with any other airline.

So I check the TSA website for updates and the rules on the airline website, print both out and put in my carry-on.

Also the gun case must have a NON-TSA UNAPPROVED lock. It is OK to lock that case inside your luggage with a TSA-approved lock.

I check handgunlaw.us and whatever sources I trust to see the legality of arming up in the destination airport bathroom before I leave.

Do not fly into or out of NJ or NY airports. US 3rd Circuit says FOPA does not protect you against state laws taking a locked and case gun from your car to airline baggage check, and NY likes to question and bust people. At least some times. CA is fine. I tend to avoid connections in very anti-gun states in case I get stranded and want my luggage. I avoided Chicago, but their laws have changed so much I will have to check next time it is an option.

Ammo just has to be in a secure container. I took a brick to Florida in 5 plastic containers, 100 to a container. Just packed them in my checked bag. I asked at checkin if they wanted to see the ammo, and they said no. :-) If I were flying into, out of, or connecting at any state not reciprocal with Pa. I wouldn't even think of traveling with a firearm.

[wanneroo]

It does, they probably won't, but they sometimes do. FOPA does NOT protect you in NJ (3rd Circuit Ruling).

But why would you fly out of NY or Pittsburgh? I would assume Harrisburg and ABE in Lehigh Valley are closer. ABE parking is $7/day short term (cheaper long term) and you park a 300 foot walk from the checkin counter. Make sure you show up 20 minutes before your flight takes off so you can walk to the checkin, check your gun, and walk to the terminal Seriously, I would make sure to be there an hour early but you will ALWAYS be waiting half an hour at the terminal to board the plane. Always beats driving somewhere and hour closer (what is closer to you?) and waiting with a thousand smelly scumbags for 3 hours to make sure you are early enough.

Harrisburg if the traffic is good on Rt 15 is about 2.5 hours away give or take a bit. A lot of the people I work for fly me out Elmira, NY because it's the closest, so I go through there a lot. In this case I was using airmiles and was given limited options and Pittsburgh got me close to my destination with the most efficiency and also means I end up not having to rent a car and drive 2 hours when I get there either.

Pittsburgh can't be as bad as Philadelphia but I've never flown out of there, so we'll see.

[Topperoni]

Flown out of PIA with a firearm three times recently. There was never an issue.