27 replies to this topic

[cubefx]

Hello,

About to fly to Colorado for a couple of days. Might have some time to fly over there.
Problem is that I can pack the frame in my Checked bag, but the handles will not fit there (custom case).
Does anyone have experience with flying on commercial airline with Rev handles in the Carry-on bag?
They kinda look like a handgun.


Thanks

[REVflyer]

shouldn't be a problem, I've done carry-on several times successfully. I have always wrapped the handles with the flying line around them, so there's no doubt of their intended purpose. Don't try the ground stake though security, that won't be gettin' thru! Instead use a carbiner to layout your flying lines, even if you have to attach it to your own kite bag.

[cubefx]

Thanks!!!!

[Mike]

I've travelled lots of times with my kite kit as carry-on. I use one of the larger Rev sleeves with 2 kites in it. A standard and a vented, 2 wrap and 3 wrap spars. Handles, and 120' and 75' lines go in the outside pocket. The stake stays home.
I shove the sleeve next to the handle of my roll-on suitcase. It slides thru security without even a glance by the inspectors and it fits easily in the overhead. Sometimes when I've got a window seat, I just put the kites next to me between me and the wall. I've done it on the small turbo-prop planes on up.
Enjoy your trip!

[Jeff]

I've not had any trouble carrying kites on.

I made a simple bag, or sleeve really, of ripstop that is just large enough to put 3 Rev sleeves in with their sails and spars. I carry that on, and in the overhead compartment it lays across the back and doesn't even interfere with the other luggage because the curve at the back of the compartment keeps a space against the rectangular suitcases.

I pack the handles and lines in checked bags, though.

[Jeff]

Hello,

About to fly to Colorado for a couple of days. Might have some time to fly over there.

Oh, and I just flew in Colorado last month with some locals. Check with the Mile High Kiters https://www.facebook...ups/milehikite/ if you want to meet up with anyone. They have regular Sunday flys.

[quaa714]

2 words........
Travel rods!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Watty]

Hello,

About to fly to Colorado for a couple of days. Might have some time to fly over there.
Problem is that I can pack the frame in my Checked bag, but the handles will not fit there (custom case).
Does anyone have experience with flying on commercial airline with Rev handles in the Carry-on bag?
They kinda look like a handgun.


Thanks

Every time that I fly, I take my entire Rev Bag as a carry on. The only thing I remove are the kite stakes. I've been told that it won't fit on the airplane in some occasions, but they were always wrong. It has fit on every airplane I have been on, including the small propeller planes. TSA has never stopped me from carrying my rev bag on the plane. At most they have opened it up, and asked me what is inside.

[goestoeleven]

What they all said! I've had good experiences with my kites on planes (at least so far).

The first time I flew with the kites, I put the stakes, handles & sails into my checked bag, and put all the spars into a mailing tube.

Next time, I just took Mike's approach - two kites in one sleeve, with an extra set of spars. Handles & lines in the suitcase (check-able if needed). I skipped the stakes on that trip so that I could carry the suitcase on the plane if the handles didn't cause a concern at security. No problem, and I just used whatever I could find on the beach or ground for a stake. At one checkpoint, I was asked what was in the sleeve, and then they waved me through.

I've also carried a large extendable "blueprint" tube with several kites in the tube. I figured I'd get no argument since I've seen people carrying documents, and I've never heard a flight attendant tell someone they have to check their blueprints. When I've had that tube, handles and lines go in the suitcase (and I skipped the stakes).

The last trip, I wanted to bring a lot of kites, so I figured I'd chance it with my kite bag. I just brought the whole kite bag with as many kites, handles and line sets as I could fit (I brought extra kites so I could fly with my kids), and carried it right onto the plane with no questions. No problems at security either, with several handles and line sets. Ground stakes were in the checked bag for that trip.

The bag I carry is a 48in Into the Wind carryall bag, so it's fairly "big" as a carry on - certainly longer than any suitcase they'd let you carry aboard. Maybe one day a roll up Rev bag will show up under the Xmas tree . . . .

[jimfielder]

I've used a Prism molded kite case for the last three years.
http://shop.prismkit...-kite-case.html
No problems with TSA. I always check my lines, stake and handles. TSA has never looked or ask what was in the case.
Has both a handle and shoulder strap.
Love it!

[Jeepster]

Because I also carry big kites, my approach is a little different.

1) Rods are pulled out of the Revs and put into a fly rod case ... that becomes the "personal" item that's carried on the plane. Had 39 rods in the case on the last trip.

2) Revs are rolled up around a piece of water pipe insulation and placed in my checked luggage. Rich simply folds his, but with the rolling approach creasing is minimized. Had six Revs on the last trip. Lines, handles, carabiners, etc also go in the checked luggage.

3) Big kites go in a compression sack ... along with flying lines, straps, sand anchors, smaller kites, etc. The compression sack held a 100 sq ft kite, a 20 sq ft kite, three 5 sq ft kites, couple of tube tails, a banner tail, couple of sand anchors, assortment of straps, nylon jacket. The compression sack becomes my carry on bag. It's an inch too big around for the overhead bins on the puddle jumpers, so the compression straps are released part way and the bag is flatted to fit into the smaller overhead bins.

All of the above is airline "legal" so, with a printout of the airline rules, you'll receive no hassle at boarding. The rolled up Rev size bag is technically too big for carry on status. Thus, you'll be stopped once in awhile and asked to gate check ... or be charged as a second bag.

The only problem I've had with the above process was TSA pulled a random carry on inspection right at the boarding gate in Mexico once. I was in the last six rows called for boarding and they wanted to look inside my compression sack ... dumb!! They'd just done a pat down search on a five year old kid and his ten year old sister while waving through someone you'd swear was on the FBI's most wanted poster. Since I had concluded that their inspections were for show and not for security, I acted accordingly. Made a show - long show - of opening the compression sack ... yes it was childish, but what the heck. They got to look into my compression sack (well, the top two or three inches), but they also pulled the ramp away as soon as I boarded the plane.

Cheers,
Tom

[Mike]

I'm too impatient to wait for the luggage carousel. I like to hit the ground running so all my stuff is carry-on unless I'm bringing the team gear. I've accidently brought a stake on board a couple times, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[quaa714]

Baggage claim is for women and those that don't know any better!!!!!



IT'S A JOKE>>>>>OKAY????!!!!!!!!!!

[kwmf]

Over here, it won't cut it as carry on - I suppose I might get lucky, but it's not worth it to push it.

My normal carry was about 10-15 revs all in their individual sleeves, bound together into a bundle with 4 lenghts of string, bag with handles and lines all inside a ripstop duffel type bag and bubble wrap for extra padding.

With that many revs bound together in a bundle, most knocks won't be an issue. That worked out fine until a recent tripwhere my bag (as you can see from the attached pictures) appears to have been fed to a machine. The machine nibbled on my Blast, vented Blast and Flying Wings Vampire Devil quad

This incident has prompted me to look into one of those travel covers for golf bags - the ones that fit over your normal golf bag and clubs. It seems golfers get special treatment on some airlines around here so it would seem a worthwhile investment to me. The bag are understandably large (about 51 x 12 x 12 inch) but if the airline takes it, who am I to argue.

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[goestoeleven]

This incident has prompted me to look into one of those travel covers for golf bags - the ones that fit over your normal golf bag and clubs. It seems golfers get special treatment on some airlines around here so it would seem a worthwhile investment to me. The bag are understandably large (about 51 x 12 x 12 inch) but if the airline takes it, who am I to argue.

Another alternative I've thought about for bringing a lot of revs and also some bigger kites is a ski or snowboard bag. A little known variation in the baggage charge fees for most airlines is they don't charge for skis and snowboards (at least as of a couple winters ago, and at least for domestic USA travel). You might want to read your airline's travel rules before you fly. And . . . as Jeepster pointed out, having a printed copy of said rules will also help in the case of any arguments with the ticket counter. Of course, if they open the bag and your skis are as skinny as spars, that won't help your cause, but I think it's pretty unlikely they'd open the bag at the counter.

When I go skiing, I stuff all my clothes into my ski and boot bags, so the only carryon I have is my backpack. I've thought about using the same bag for checking kites - but I'd probably want to have some really sturdy spars in there along with the kites and clothes to prevent any unexpected folding in the baggage handling. Another downside - for golf clubs and skis, you often have to wait until after all the regular bags are out and they get around to the "special items."

[ahofer]

Last time I flew with my revs (to the BVI) I put an assortment of rods into an architectural document tube (carry-on) and folded the kites into compression bags. It's amazing how little space 6 kites took that way - about as much as a shirt, but a good deal heavier. The creases fly out.

[cubefx]

Thanks everyone for the tips. Flew several times in the past few weeks and it is looks like TSA does not considering Rev handles as a dangerous item (or maybe I was lucky).

[REVflyer]

I did a carry-on with the Prism hard-sider case this past weekend (it carried 2 Old Glories kites, 3 sets of handles, plus a big carabiner to use instead of a stake) both ways, no issues with security. Not even a open it up examination between either Atlanta's Hatfield or Baltimore Washington Int'l.

I went down to see that little warrior son of mine.
He's 25 yrs old, about 5'4" and maybe a 110 pounds soaking wet, but a martial arts practitioner since kindergarden. Witnessed incredible feats of his endurance, physical fitness and explosive power as he works towards his 5th degree rank. The school teaches 15 different martial arts styles at once plus weapons. Sa Bo Nim (Ben) LaMasters is their senior instructor, working under a 7th degreed master and 9th degree (one of only 12 in the entire world) grand master.

97 people tested and about two dozen were up for their 1st black belts. They were ready and magnificent specimens of physical prowess as well, two were 8 years old and they "owned" the crowd of about 250 as they demonstrated their board breaking abilities thru 10 different techniques.

anyway, proud poppa-san is back home
(and the kites returned safely too!... They were a great time as a leisurely activity afterwards (on Sunday afternoon). We followed that up by watch Real Steel" (a cross between Transformer robots & the Rocky boxing movies), then dinner with the master & his family.

[Scott_of_melnsct]

We also travel with our roll up bags. The only things taken out are the kite stakes. Like Watty, no problems ever. Closest thing is the ticket desk sometimes thinks you will have to gate check the bag, but when you get to the plane nobody bats an eye. You walk right on and stick it in the back of the overhead where there will still be room for peoples boring carry-ons in front. Sometimes we use an entire overhead compartment, but that's because there are three of us each with his or her own kite bag.

[Khal]

I did a carry-on with the Prism hard-sider case this past weekend (it carried 2 Old Glories kites, 3 sets of handles, plus a big carabiner to use instead of a stake) both ways, no issues with security.

Sorry for the off-topic, but how do you use a carabiner in place of a stake? That sounds useful.