Hand carry or check in your drone?

Metallic Hawk · Nov 9, 2019

I had my M2Z and batteries in my carry-on. TSA guy was moving my drone case to another xray machine and dropped it. Even through the case it broke the gimbal protector.
First thing when I got to my destination, I drove to a place where I could test it to make sure it wasn't broken. I was nervous and flew right into a power line. My fault. Busted the gimbal and camera in the crash. Seemed to be undamaged before.

MavicBob · Nov 9, 2019

Sctcorolla said:
Do you guys hand carry your Mavic Air or do you check it in with your luggage? What do most people do? Is there an advantage to doing it one way?

Thomas B · Nov 9, 2019

I Carry my bird... batteries, ehhh, but there are some variations of regs among airlines.

tesohn · Nov 9, 2019

Sctcorolla said:
Do you guys hand carry your Mavic Air or do you check it in with your luggage? What do most people do? Is there an advantage to doing it one way?

Hand Carry. Period

tesohn · Nov 9, 2019

You really have to consider your "drone" as your "camera". I would NEVER check my cameras on ANY airline.

WithTheBirds · Nov 9, 2019

pmshop said:
There is no choice.
Drones MUST BE carry on due to the batteries.

Not with most airlines. You can have a battery in checked baggage providing it is installed in the device it is intended for and the device is switched off.

MAvic_South_Oz · Nov 9, 2019

WithTheBirds said:
Not with most airlines. You can have a battery in checked baggage providing it is installed in the device it is intended for and the device is switched off.

True, only Emirates as far as I'm aware don't allow the drone itself in cabin bag.
There could be other airlines (subsidiaries / affiliates ?) with this policy, not 100% sure.

I find it fairly worrying that a LIPO is ok fitted in a drone in checked bag.
Nothing to say a damaged or swelling battery when fitted is any safer in a non pressurised hold.

dgronjord · Nov 15, 2019

Sctcorolla said:
Do you guys hand carry your Mavic Air or do you check it in with your luggage? What do most people do? Is there an advantage to doing it one way?

Drone batteries always in hand luggage (almost all airlines require this). Drone in checked luggage on airlines who prohibit drones in hand luggage (not uncommon) otherwise I try to fit everything in carry on.

DanMan32 · Nov 15, 2019

I would think laptops would need to be carry-on because of batteries. They make you take batteries out of smart luggage.

WithTheBirds · Nov 15, 2019

DanMan32 said:
I would think laptops would need to be carry-on because of batteries. They make you take batteries out of smart luggage.

Laptop should be fine in checked luggage providing less than 160wh battery capacity. There might be exceptions however In my experience LiION/LPO cells that form part of the device or are installed in the device they are intended for can be in your checked baggage.

scubaddictions · Nov 16, 2019

Carry-on.....until some bureaucratic pencil pusher makes up a dumb rule....like I experienced in Tokyo last month:

Drones banned from Carry-on luggage flying through Narita Airport, Tokyo, Japan

DanMan32 · Nov 17, 2019

Note that the MM batteries don't have a power switch, so treat them like RC LiPos and protect the contacts from shorts.
Unless the contacts remain trickle current until commanded to turn on from the data connection.