JetBlue

john223 · Jan 25, 2023

Can I bring a dji mavic mini on a JetBlue airline

shb · Jan 25, 2023

john223 said:
Can I bring a dji mavic mini on a JetBlue airline

Of course. But don't fly in the cabin!

john223 · Jan 25, 2023

But will it be ok or do I have to discharge them to a certain % of battery

Grandpa · Jan 25, 2023

john223 said:
But will it be ok or do I have to discharge them to a certain % of battery

That information should be on the company website.

shb · Jan 25, 2023

john223 said:
But will it be ok or do I have to discharge them to a certain % of battery

No, the charge level doesn't matter. Loose batteries should have their terminals covered.

MAvic_South_Oz · Jan 25, 2023

john223 said:
But will it be ok or do I have to discharge them to a certain % of battery

No need at all, but if you feel better, just leave them discharged to the usual ~ 55% - 60% level.

Straight from the JetBlue site . . .

JetBlue

JetBlue offers flights to 90+ destinations with free inflight entertainment, free brand-name snacks and drinks, lots of legroom and award-winning service.

www.jetblue.com

As per most airlines, the drone can go in cabin or checked.
A battery can go in checked when fitted securely into the device (drone).
All spare lithium batteries are to go into carry on (cabin), terminals capped or taped to prevent shortage.

john223 · Jan 25, 2023

john223 said:
But will it be ok or do I have to discharge them to a certain % of battery

I didn’t see it tho for JetBlue

john223 · Jan 25, 2023

Ok Thxs lol

mike foy · Jan 26, 2023

I have bought a lipo fireproof case for charging and travel, it shows the airline and security personnel that are aware of the potential hazards of these items and have taken steps. I think it is safe to say that would be more worried about the batteries rather than the drone

spsphotos · Jan 26, 2023

mike foy said:
I have bought a lipo fireproof case for charging and travel, it shows the airline and security personnel that are aware of the potential hazards of these items and have taken steps. I think it is safe to say that would be more worried about the batteries rather than the drone

Ditto. I have two. One I keep my drone batteries in and one for my camera batteries. They are fireproof. Yes, many people say you don't need those, but I don't want to be "that guy" if they do.

Only cost a few dollars.

bcfd29 · Jan 26, 2023

john223 said:
Can I bring a dji mavic mini on a JetBlue airline

YES but carry it on with you and make sure your batteries are carried safely. Recommend a dedicated hard case or bag just for your gear. I work for the airline in safety and travel with mine regularly. If for some reason your flight runs out of overhead space, explain it is electronics and you need to keep it with you. Have a great trip!

bcfd29 · Jan 26, 2023

MAvic_South_Oz said:
No need at all, but if you feel better, just leave them discharged to the usual ~ 55% - 60% level.

Straight from the JetBlue site . . .

JetBlue

JetBlue offers flights to 90+ destinations with free inflight entertainment, free brand-name snacks and drinks, lots of legroom and award-winning service.

www.jetblue.com

As per most airlines, the drone can go in cabin or checked.
A battery can go in checked when fitted securely into the device (drone).
All spare lithium batteries are to go into carry on (cabin), terminals capped or taped to prevent shortage.

***NO BATTERIES IN CHECKED LUGGAGE PERIOD!!!*** FAA and carrier safety requirements.

retiredNH · Jan 26, 2023

bcfd29 said:
***NO BATTERIES IN CHECKED LUGGAGE PERIOD!!!*** FAA and carrier safety requirements.

Not according to the FAA. See here: Lithium Batteries in Baggage | Federal Aviation Administration.

Most consumer personal electronic devices containing batteries are allowed in carry-on and checked baggage, including but not limited to cell phones, smart phones, data loggers, PDAs, electronic games, tablets, laptop computers, cameras, camcorders, watches, calculators, etc. This covers typical dry cell batteries and lithium metal and lithium ion batteries for consumer electronics (AA, AAA, C, D, button cell, camera batteries, laptop batteries, etc.)

JimSteadman · Jan 26, 2023

john223 said:
But will it be ok or do I have to discharge them to a certain % of battery

I have repeatedly flown all over the country with my drone and fully charged batteries. Just got back from California the night before last. There is no problem. TSA is not interested in them. BUT you must have the drone and your batteries in your hand luggage. You should not put it in a checked bag.

Grandpa · Jan 26, 2023

JimSteadman said:
I have repeatedly flown all over the country with my drone and fully charged batteries. Just got back from California the night before last. There is no problem. TSA is not interested in them. BUT you must have the drone and your batteries in your hand luggage. You should not put it in a checked bag.

From the Jetblue website:

Bringing Batteries for Electronic Devices

Due to the possibility of a fire, all batteries for electronic devices should be packed in the original retail package and wrapped in insulating tape to prevent loose batteries from coming into contact with metal objects.

Please note: Lithium batteries should be packed in carry-on bags, not checked bags, to protect the battery from getting crushed or punctured during the flight.

Lithium Batteries in Devices

JetBlue will accept consumer electronic and medical devices (watches, calculators, cameras, cellular phones, laptop computers, camcorders, hearing aids, etc.) containing lithium cells or batteries when carried by customers or crewmembers in both carry-on and checked bags. Portable electronic devices in checked bags must be turned off and prevented from accidental activation.

Spare lithium cells and batteries for these devices will only be accepted in carry-on bags and are prohibited in checked bags. When a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or at planeside, all spare lithium batteries must be removed from the bag and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin.

shawgod · Jan 26, 2023

I have a Nanuk hard cases that I keep my drones in in. That includes the batteries. This obviously keeps them separated. Would something like this be acceptable for flying on airlines? Or do I need to get LIPO bags to travel with these batteries on a airline?

Meta4 · Jan 26, 2023

mike foy said:
it shows the airline and security personnel that are aware of the potential hazards of these items and have taken steps.

Very few airport check-in people would know what the bags are and none will care because their employer doesn't ask them to check for such things.

MAvic_South_Oz · Jan 26, 2023

bcfd29 said:
***NO BATTERIES IN CHECKED LUGGAGE PERIOD!!!*** FAA and carrier safety requirements.

retiredNH said:
Not according to the FAA. See here: Lithium Batteries in Baggage | Federal Aviation Administration.

Exactly, like pretty much all airlines worldwide.

MAvic_South_Oz · Jan 26, 2023

shawgod said:
I have a Nanuk hard cases that I keep my drones in in. That includes the batteries. This obviously keeps them separated. Would something like this be acceptable for flying on airlines? Or do I need to get LIPO bags to travel with these batteries on a airline?

Yes, that's fine, even the drone with a battery fitted in the case as a checked bag . . . but ALL your spare batteries must be as carry on, then separated somehow with anything that can short the terminals, and / or the termial ends capped or taped off.
This is the airlines requirement, airport security simply aren't interested.
I have my batteries all in separate compartments of my carry on drone backpack, up to 11+ of them in all sorts of SOC, most would be in their discharged state, but it's not a requirement.

FYI, lipo bags can contain a lipo thermal runaway fire somewhat.
They won't stop the smoking, they will suppress the flames somewhat.

I feel personally, best to see any smoke early, so the batteries can be dealt with by airline crew.
They are trained for this, although they probably have little experience, maybe apart from a brief training segment on this.

Here is an airbus doc that covers fire on board an aircraft in flight.

https://skybrary.aero/sites/default/files/bookshelf/4220.pdf

A couple of other interesting docs, form FAA . . .

https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/09-55.pdf

and thermal runaway . . .

https://flightsafety.org/asw/mar08/asw_mar08_p42-47.pdf

We consumer drone operators shouldn't get too stressed about this.
Our cased batteries are really very safe and reliable, with extremely rare incidents of lipo fires.
Usually it takes a cracked case / damaged cell to cause them to react, or if the batteries are very old and become unstable, but your drone will probably no fly by that stage, or be defunct by then for other reasons.

The soft pack lipos in FPV are another thing, they are often on the bottom of a drone and in a crash are much more easily damaged.
Even then, there are videos online that show they can require a nail hammered through them to start a lipo fire and thermal runaway event.

RoarRoar · Jan 26, 2023

I’ll say this till I’m blue in the face the TSA nor your airline care about your drone or that you are traveling with one. They also never check to see if it’s in a lipo bag or discharged. As long as it’s in any bag or case it’s fine. Obviously with anything of value don’t pack this in your checked luggage.

I fly a lot. Many flights a year and never once have I been asked to have my drone or had batteries inspected. (I fly JetBlue frequently).