Air Travel With Paintball Gear.

[The Spanish Inquisition]

I'll be flying back home sometime in the middle of september and I'm very anxious to hit up Transcend Paintball while im there. What do I need to do to transport my gear with me? What are FAA regulations on bringing air tanks and markers in my checked baggage.

I plan to bring one marker with a 45/45 compressed air tank, pants, mask, jersey, some tools and mabey a squeegee. (im going very light)

Anyway i assume someone has done this that can give me tips on what to do and what not to do. Thanks

[Chojin Man]

make sure that your tank is completly empty. some airlines will require that you take the reg off of the tank. so be ready for that.

also make sure you have a good hard case for it. because it's probably going to get thrown through the air a few times lol.

[Automaggot68]

make sure that your tank is completly empty. some airlines will require that you take the reg off of the tank. so be ready for that.

also make sure you have a good hard case for it. because it's probably going to get thrown through the air a few times lol.

I was under the influence that you could NOT fly with a tank on board, carry on, or in cargo anymore.
If I were you, I'd box everything up, and send it home!

[Blazestorm]

Just empty your tank and take strap-wrenchs to it, you only need hand pressure to make the reg safe for filling. It seals up well (as long as you protect the threads on the reg and tank, so plug those up with something)

You should be good though, just let them know you have a paintball marker and a dis-assembled compressed-air tank in your under-the-plane stuff, they're cool with it as long as you tell them. They'll probably have some DOT inspectors check out the tank and make sure it's disassembled...

[1ofkind]

Ah, I wouldn't want to take my tank apart Thats seems like alot of trouble.

[Blazestorm]

Yes... unscrewing a bottle from a regulator is incredibly difficult!!!11 shiftone.

[InexactMelissa]

I've heard it both ways: some people have had no problem bringing tanks on planes, some people were not allowed to. Personally, I haven't tried to bring a tank, but every single time I put a gun in the luggage, it came back with one of those little notes saying that it was opened and hand screened.

Technically, the regulations state that you are not allowed to travel with compressed gas cylanders in checked or carryon luggage. On the other hand, there is the argument that it is no longer a compressed gas cylander after it is disassembled...which is great until you run into that one screener who is gonna cause problems and then you're screwed.

If it were me, I wouldn't risk having to make the choice between losing my tank and keeping my airline ticket or losing my airline ticket to keep my tank. I would just be safe and ship it home, with a tracking number and plenty of insurance in case anything happened.

[gamarada717]

If you tell them what it is, you shouldn't have any problems. It just seems a lot safer to take the reg off anyway, because I'm pretty sure that cargo areas are not pressurized, and I don't know how that would affect a tank.

[Hexis]

Why guess what the regulations say when you can go right to the source.

Transporting SCUBA Equipment

Dive tanks or any compressed gas cylinders are prohibited as checked baggage. A compressed gas cylinder is allowed in carry-on baggage only if the regulator valve is completely disconnected from the cylinder and the cylinder is no longer sealed (i.e. the cylinder has an open end). The cylinder must have an opening to allow for a visual inspection inside. TSA Security Screeners will NOT remove the seal/regulator valve from the cylinder at the checkpoint. If the cylinder is sealed (i.e. the regulator valve is still attached), the cylinder is prohibited and not permitted through the security checkpoint, regardless of the reading on the pressure gauge indicator. TSA Security Screeners must visibly ensure that the cylinder is completely empty and that there are no prohibited items inside.

Elsewhere on the site it says that compressed air guns are allowed to be checked, but not carried on. So that's pretty simple. Carry on the tank (with no reg installed), check the gun and other gear. You should be all good.

[ryanshep]

im pretty sure it differs between airlines, because my brother flew to minnesota with his gear with no problems what so ever. But then on the way back (different airline i believe) they made him take it off the plane and have it checked over by the faa.

[InexactMelissa]

Very true, but on that same site in the chart of allowed and prohibited items (page 5) it simply says that compressed gas cylinders are not allowed in checked or carryon bags.

I'm not disputing what the rules actually state, I'm just concerned about how some cranky dude at the airport may interpret them.

And here's some more info: the TSA site says that further restrictions may be applied by the FAA, and the FAA says SCUBA tanks are not allowed, but doesn't offer any qualifiers such as disassembly: FAA restrictions

[mirthvader]

I fly all the time and on many different airlines. I just empty the tank and leave it in the luggage. Forget carry on. Usually I throw a paintball magazine on top of the tank. I watch my luggage go through the scanner all the time and the last time they opened the bags and looked at the stuff. Never had a problem.

[evildead420]

TSA is a nightmare

boy, i had a great xperiance with TSA, first off, i went to hawaii about a month ago, i sent all my gear in my suitcase, tank and all and the screeners didnt check my bag, so i flew with the tank to hawaii, i didnt know about the tanks were not aloud and then when i tried to fly back to SFO, kona tsa called me back and said they were confiscating it and i told them that i already went threw coming to kona with no problem and now there telling me that its banned, they wanted me to take the whole valve off but what, does it look like i got tools, so ya, they got my tank, hpa and a co2, i was

then i went to denver and i did another gear up but this time i sent a tank in ground mail. everything is cool until i came back home to SF, and found that TSA broke 2 of my evul 2 battery covers with it looks like a screwdriver . man, TSA is a flaw of the system.

its hard to travel and play paintball for what i experienced