Taking minis on a plane?

[rocketandroll]

Hi all


Ok... international competition painters out there...

What\'s everyones (recent) experiences in trying to take minis abroad for competitions?

Me and three mates are heading out to GD Spain at the weekend and this\'ll be our first international trip for a comp. I have three entries, one of which is a heavy tank... I want to (obviously) take the entries in hand luggage, and size wise that\'s not a prob...

I just wondered what people\'s experiences with customs have been like? Once they x-ray them and see these wierdly shaped metal objects I\'m guessing they\'re gonna want to unpack them and take a look... but I\'m a bit worried about them finding some reason to not let them on, or want to cut something open because it has voids inside it or whatever...

I\'m probably being paranoid, especially having taken very large prototype rockets through customs to the US in recent years and not had much hassle... but having spent so long on these entries I am now bricking it that somehow the airline or customs will find a way to break or stop my minis getting getting to the comp!?


Someone reassure me


Ben

 

[Ritual]

When I travelled to Paris it was enough to open the bag. I had screwed the minis to the bottom of a plastic hard case so it was enough to just open the lid. Of course, I had no tanks or similar, but I think they should be no problem as they do x-ray the whole thing. What happened to me though, was that the French security personnel handled my bag rather brusquely, so that one mini came loose and fell off its base. But, I was on my way home, so no big deal.

 

[Skinskinner]

I dont know mate,
But good luck from a fellow UK painter, Wish I could have made it out to Spain.

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by rocketandroll
Someone reassure me
NO.
When you hear the Snap of a Latex Glove it\'s probably a little too late for that!. lol


Ben

If you advise the Baggage inspectors as you get to the checkpoint of the contents of the cases then you should be relatively OK.

You may of course have a real piece of work on shift, with a Hangover, who\'s Piles are hurting who will want to make YOUR life miserable. In that case your\'re Screwed.

 

[airhead]

And because the x-rays cannot see into the lead tanks, they must be disassembled to be certain that there are no drugs inside.

Break out the large pliers and nippers.

 

[werwolf]

Hi there
My experience about taking minis by planes for contest. you must take them by hand luggages. of course at the custom they will ask you to open the bag or box. explaining what it is and for what they have manipulate it really carefully.Funny thing , one time it happens that the guy was really interested and call other people to come and see, and they ask me a lot of questions, and wish me good luck for the contest.
So normally , be reassured man, there will be no problem !

Good luck and trip

laurent

 

[Wolf Fang]

i brought an eldar wave serpent and a bits box on a plane no problem

 

[rocketandroll]

Originally posted by airhead
And because the x-rays cannot see into the lead tanks, they must be disassembled to be certain that there are no drugs inside.

Break out the large pliers and nippers.

Thank god it\'s a resin tank then!!! ;-)

Hopefully just keeping them well packed, but accessible, and letting the people on the desk when we get there will be enough!

As for the snap of latex gloves... there are some methods of getting minis into Spain safely that even I wouldn\'t stretch to.

all those spikey stickey out bits, swords and such like... there ain\'t enough vasaline in the World


Ben

 

[Dragon Forge Design]

Ive traveled by planefrom the USA to 7 UK Games days and 2 events in France.. plus others. Carried my entries on every time. The only place anyone will ever want to look is in security and thats rarely. They send it through x-ray and may require a look on the other end.

Just be upfront and explain you have toy soldier models and are going to a competition..in most cases they will go Ooooo and one or two others will come over and have a look.

As for customs, those guys couldnt care less.. On arrival in most cases you will go through Pass Port control who couldnt care less about what you have as you have been through security already on your departure end and most countries have a nothing to decare line where you walk straight through.

Just make sure what ever your bringing on fits the carry on baggage requirements.

Have fun!

 

[airhead]

Most airlines want your carry-on stowed for take-off & landing. Put it on the floor between your feet. That meets their requirement. Do not put it in the overhead bin to get smashed by the buisness class traveler\'s carry on.

 

[Dragon Forge Design]

Originally posted by airhead
And because the x-rays cannot see into the lead tanks, they must be disassembled to be certain that there are no drugs inside.

Break out the large pliers and nippers.

Nah..

in 2002 I was flying to the UK and one of my entries was a huge mass of metal.. they kept running the bag through the x- ray machine..so I asked what the problems was and they were like we can\'t tell what something is..I was like oh its probably the large toy soldier.. so they brought the bag over to me and opened it and started digging no where near the figure box..I was like the figure is in that box.. and the guy was like oh we dont care about that.. suddenly he was like here it is and pulled out my keys where I had an aluiminum bottle opener on it.. said thats the offending article and took it off my keychain and kept it. Apparently I might open to many bottles on my flight or something.. Giant mass of metal they could care less.