LF film through airport

Well, I'm making my way from stupid questions to more intelligent questions <g>.

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I've traveled with a lot of 35mm equipment and film, and in fact I bought a camera bag that lets me take the film pouch easilly for airport hand inspection. I'm getting ready for a trip with the 4x5, and some questions about how aiport security will handle film inspection have occured to me.

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I know that the FAA gives me the right to request hand inspection of film. So far, so good. Inspecting a 35mm cassette is fiarly straightforward: looks like film, weighs about what film should weigh, and you're on your way. What about a box of 4x5, though? Essentially it can't really be inspected, except by competent personnel in a completely dark darkroom. So what happens when I hand them 5 or so boxes of LF film and tell them that they can't be opened? Do they arrest me on the spot? I've had airport security take my 35mm film pouch and put it on the conveyer to the scanner, from which I've had to rescue it, and then tell me that I'm be arrested unless it went through (I explained to them that they were wrong, and that if I was unlawfully arrested they'd be working for me for the rest of their lives).

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I've contacted the airline, the airport, and the FAA about this. The FAA has directed me to the airline and the airport. The airline and the airport have both told me "get there early" which to me really doesn't address the basic issue that the film cannot be inspected in any menaingful way.

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Any ideas? Any experience?

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Thanks

David Gardner

Greetings,

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Not a problem. I keep a single sheet of film handy and show it to

them. I've never had a problem, but then I've always allowed time

and was courteous.

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Regards, Pete

In the US, I have not had any problem getting hand inspections of LF

film in boxes with the original labels...always using old film boxes

to hold exposed film. They usually just "sniff" it with the cloth

patch on the wand that they then put into some kind of other machine.

In France and the UK, I have NEVER had any luck getting a hand

inspection of any kind of film. Even claiming to be of the royal

family does not help, for any kind of film. It is also fair to say

that I have never had film damaged by carry-on xray either. Since the

effect is cumulative, I do make sure I don't take the same film on

another international trip if it's already been xrayed. Never put

it in checked baggage. The xray machines used for that are MUCH

stronger.John

My experiences parallel those above.

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I've done it both ways - holders loaded and empty, boxes opened and

unopened. It's easier to go with empty holders and an unopened box,

but it's not impossible to go with loaded holders and an opened box.

Coming back, unless you can process on the road, you'll have exposed

film anyway.

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Be polite, dress well, show up well in advance and try to time your

pass through security when the crowds are at a minimum. Hard to do

this time of year! It helps to have at least one empty holder, an

exposed and processed negative, and a sacrificial unexposed negative

to demonstrate if necessary. Different airports, different personel,

you'll get different results. You might get different results at the

same airport on the same day!

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Overseas, don't even think about it. Buy your film there, try to

have it shipped (no guarantee it's not X-rayed then either though) or

just pass it through. Even then, expect to have to explain things.

Every time I pass a camera through, I know I will have to open the

case and show what it is.

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I have traveled with loaded holders from O'Hare to Newark to Orly to

Tunis to Rome to Florence and back the same route and could not

detect any damage to the Velvia, 64T, or HP5+ I passed through. I

didn't submit any of it to a lab for examination though either.

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Don't forget - you and your film are getting bombarded with radiation

on the plane anyway.

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http://www.creativedevelopment.com/radair/

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http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_home/sec24/279.htm

I used to fly internationally all the time w/ 4x5 film loaded in both

holders and quickloads. I keep the holders in ziplock bags,

exposed quickloads and rollfilm in a lead bag, and unexposed

QL's in their original boxes/foil pouches. Just ask the inspector

to handcheck the film nicely. These days, they will generally run a

chemical explosive swab on each film cassette and in the QL foil

pouch. Overseas, I've been given handchecks in Tokyo (no

problem), Bangkok, and Hong Kong. In Seoul, they X-ray

everthing (even arriving bags!). In W. Europe, I've never been

given a handcheck when requested, but again, my film has never

been ruined, either. At Heathrow, don't even bother asking for a

handcheck; you won't get it. The lead bag should reduce the

penetration. The German airport officials tend to look at my tripod

and photobag w/ lenses/camera very closely (long exposure in

the machine), so put the film in last or first.

there isn't enough metal in film to set off the detector that you walk

through, even if you are carrying hundereds of sheets. So I where a

jacket with some large pockets, and some cargo pants and fill up my

pockets. Using 25 sheet boxes I can carry 6-8 boxes with out it

looking like anything at all. once you get through you can unload

into your carry on to make sitting more comfortable.

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doug

I agree with the last post! I carry six 25-sheet boxes at a time in my

Gortex rain parka which has 5 big pockets. It is a loose garment and

there is no indication that I am carrying anything. I walk right

through the metal detectors and not a beep occurs. I carry both

exposed 4x5 and new unopened boxes this way. Just make sure you don't

have anything else metal on you so you don't get stopped and they

start fussing with your coat. That is, put your keys, glasses, belt

buckles etc. in the little dish they give you before they let you pass

throught the metal detector....

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Scott

I travel with Fuji Quickloads exclusively - this is easier (you can open the box and show the envelopes) and more difficult (due to the tin latch, you can't take them through the metal scanner).<BR>

My experience is only with german and U.S. airports: in the U.S., no problem at all (officers were very polite). In Germany, you usually get raise eyebrowes and gripes, but if you insist they will check the film with a chemical sensor (but be prepared to invest some 15 minutes for this procedure).<BR>

However, I have to unpack my LF gear completely <B>every</B> time when passing german security checks, no matter how long they X-ray it - this can be quite nerving when the flight schedule is tight...