Luton Airport Security, Unreasonable approach for confiscation

[rafkt]

My mistake was that after a bit I was so upset that I didn’t get any names. Even though I know the rules, the lack of experience on such events made me lose my clarity during the event.

I would easily try to report it now as a training issue but, will it be a valid report if no names are given ? Maybe I can try regardless, hoping that they might get it into account and impove airport training on these events.

Also, during the event at some point I was only trying to get my drone off her hands and just leave, either back to London or across my flight gate ? .. So, I couldn’t concentrate on anything else during that moment.

All of you gave me some amazing feedback on my case that will definitely help in the future all of us. Definitely printing the CAA/Airline regulations on batteries and drones might come in handy in cases like this (something that I had omitted up to now). When start initiating a dialogue (regardless of its nature) it can be a great attitude to just say “May I ask your name please?”.. Then later you have proofs to whom you were speaking and when. Keeping clear mind is important but more challenging; I think on this matter only experience helps. or maybe by reading through suck kind of posts with others experience!

I will definitely state my drone as APE from now on. I love it ??....

 

[zocalo]

It's easy to forget the small (and not so small) things in stressful situations, which is why people who encounter such things on a regular basis tend to have checklists and/or drill on them repeatedly so it becomes second nature, and even then they're often no different from anyone else when thrust out of their comfort zone into a situation they're not familiar with. As such, it's not at all unusual for feedback in such situations (accident reports, for instance) to omit or be unclear on what - in hindsight - seem like fairly obvious bits of information to capture, so don't sweat it.

So, if you are going to offer some feedback to Luton Airport, I wouldn't worry about the lack of names; the date and approx time you were passing through security should let them ID a shift which ought to be more than good enough. Just pitch it that you're not looking to single anyone out so much as highlight what might be a possible training gap, then let Luton do with the feedback as they will. Realistically that's not too onerous for them as they could cover this off with a simple "office memo" clarifying what needs to be confiscated and how to deal with items they might not be sure about rather than a formal training class, so they might as well act on it.

 

[Bruce Lythe]

I used the language "flycam" which is a phrase often used in Vietnam. I came from Philippines to VN to LHR via Bangkok with no problems

 

[DrRobin]

I am not certain on this, but I thought you could only take 2 batteries and they have to be in carry on luggage?

Anything unusual I take on a plane I print out the airlines rules, just in case.

The trouble is you often don't have the time to argue, so usually you just have to say sorry.

 

[JPT]

Always travel with my Mavic Zoom in the main luggage with all my lipos well protected in my cabin luggage as required by law. Like this you avoid all kind of questions and problems.

 

[Pietros]

I was departing Heathrow for Aus and had my mavic in my checked baggage with the spare batteries in my carry on - in Lipo bags with terminals taped. I was pulled aside after the x-ray for a physical bag search. The nice lady asked me to unpack my bag, then asked what the batteries were. I explained and she showed me the x-ray. The Lipo bags had fuzzed the image enough that the plastic case was not visible just the batteries, electronics and contacts. They thought they were tasers.

 

[Steve Murray]

Hi everyone; During the last year, I have been following the forum but never had the chance to post something. Now, I think it’s the time ..

Yesterday I met the most crazy behaviour in an airport ever (London Luton). I am a frequent traveler and as always I travel with my camera gear equipement; including my drone, a Mavic Air. I have travelled through all London airports and midlands airports.

Disclaimer: I always try to co-operate with the security guidelines and be polite (except from yesterday when the security at the end was behaving completely unreasonably). This means that all my equipment is packed and un-packed (per security guidance) during the security check, all the batteries are lower than the limit of 100Wh. They are in LiPo-bags with their ports specifically covered and protected;.


I put in one tray the drone bag (the usual fly-more combo bag), and the bag with the rest of my gear including the extra batteries in another tray. The gear+batteries tray passed the x-rays check and was collected immediately by me. The drone bag stayed for further check.

One lady, who already was behaving in an irritating manner with other travellers as well, approaches me holding my tray (drone bag). She already had showed signs of irritation to me due to the fact that I was standing at the other side of the security desk. She opened my bag, even though I had told her I want to handle these myself per her guidance. She argued that no, she had to do it herself. She handled the Mavic Air without knowing what it is and without my demanding care, she went through the back pockets, removed every cable in a kind of a rude way. At the end, she showed a feeling that she did not know why she was checking the bag in the first place as everything seemed ok. The Mavic Air was sitting aside as it wasn’t a suspicious object at the moment. And then, here it comes;


Dialogue: (between me and the irritated security woman)

• What’s this?
• It’s a drone
• Oh, no no no this is not allowed with you, I have to confiscate it; I will check with my supervisor

(The nearby security man looked at us surpised)

There was no further thought for her; Only the keyword drone was an alarm for confiscation to her.

She took the drone, even though I insisted that I want myself to handle this expensive piece of gear. Her reply was that this gear is now hers, does not belong to me until she says so.

After a while she came back confirming that the supervisor hadn’t allowed for the drone to travel with me and it had to stay back (confiscated). No further details. And that’s the point that I went furious and almost crazy (I couldn’t resist anymore). I started to say that I had obeyed every rule. The battery is discharged to ~40% and I tried to indicate it too. I insisted on the fact that it is much less under the limit of 100Wh and it is legally allowed on board. She said no word about my other bag since that bag had already passed the initial check and no questions were asked. No mention about the total number of batteries etc.

And then, the all surprised security man from nearby stepped in and said to her:
Dialogue: (between friendly security guy and the hysterical security woman)

• What’s this? Oh, a Mavic Air, I have a mavic pro; Of course it can travel.
• No it can’t (she insisted).
• Please check again, I see those all the time and I am allowing on board; It’s legal for it to be on board; We have no authority to keep it.

She went back and then when she returned she said that the manager now told her it is ok to travel but it has to be on the hold luggage and not in my carry on; she had to check it in the hold. Then I was even more crazy, I had lost all my patience at the moment; people nearby were trying to support me since they knew that this behaviour of the security was unreasonable. For the third time, she goes back (after the other security man prompt her one more time); at the end she accepted to allow it in my carry on as soon as the battery was kept separate from the drone.

WTF, this is more unreasonable, I thought. The regulations say that the battery has to be equipped on the device otherwise it should be protected in a LiPo bag with port covers. I didn’t fight more. I said that’s absolutely ok, will do.


I put the battery back on the drone and I left.

During the whole event, there was no mention by the security about keywords like: LiPo bags, port covers, charge level, number of batteries, Wh.
... It’s just a drone.

Lessons:

1. I am always prepared for situations like this; but come on, it is hard to remain patient. I could not imagine something so unreasonable.
2. It does’t matter if you try to point out the regulation or the laws; they try to tell you that they don’t care.
3. The can be rude and nobody give a [Language Removed by Moderator].
4. I could easily lose my flight since I wouldn’t leave my drone there. At the end I don’t know what would have been more costly.
5. We will always be in the target from now on, since many people start becoming drone heaters; they are just getting alarmed in the keyword “Drone”

At the end, there was no further checks or statements about my gear bag which had 5 more mavic batteries, one battery-bank, camera batteries, camera flash speed-lite batteries. They could have clearly checked me for these but no! The drone was the only problem with its just one equipped battery that they found. (As I told the gear bag passed the check during the initial scan). Not even questions about my flight (airline etc.)

My only question that I could ask you. Is there any official authority that I could file a complain about the security of the airport?
Also, how could I have avoided the situation ? I have been traveling with my mavic since its release last year. I have been to airports outside Europe. No issues at all. Any experiences from anyone or advise ?

Hope that this situation will be taken into account by fellow drone-travellers and have the same luck as me (not losing a flight or their drone); As it seems, it starts to be a pure luck if you can travel with a drone from now on.

If you read it till the end, thanks I appreciate it...
P.S

1. Don’t say that you have a drone. It is just an unmanned aerial device (or just UAV); maybe it is less alarming to ignorant people.
2. Why I still think that they wanted to just keep my drone for their personal pleasure ?

And that is why I always call it a "QUADCOPTER". Drone has become a catchword for all the ignorant none-believers out there!

 

[Earthman]

I like RPA myself.

“RPA” is too much like “RPG.” UAS my be better.

The original poster did everything right. The only other thing you could have done was:

1. Ask to speak to a supervisor,
2. Take notes including their names,
3. Laws work both ways, so tell them that they are violating your rights to travel within the law,
4. Threaten to sue them and ask who your attorney should send the complaint to.
5. Get a receipt for the confiscated property.
6. Leave and sue them.

 

[roadkilt]

I like the Aerial Photography Equipment words...except people still think you are spying. When someone asks me as I'm flying I just call it my "toy helicopter". That sounds so childish it defuses their pent up anger. Hard to get mad at a toy. And really...just an expensive toy...

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

My mistake was that after a bit I was so upset that I didn’t get any names. Even though I know the rules, the lack of experience on such events made me lose my clarity during the event.

I'm usually a super-nice, laid-back guy until I have to deal with someone like you described. In hindsight, best to keep a very cool, logical head and keep asking for a supervisor or manager. EVERYONE has at least one boss. EVERYONE.

 

[AggieBQ86]

I always use the term quadcopter when describing my Mavic Air. If it draws questions then I’ll describe it “like a helicopter but with four blades”. I do everything I can to avoid the word drone.

 

[Rodkat]

Hi everyone; During the last year, I have been following the forum but never had the chance to post something. Now, I think it’s the time ..

Yesterday I met the most crazy behaviour in an airport ever (London Luton). I am a frequent traveler and as always I travel with my camera gear equipement; including my drone, a Mavic Air. I have travelled through all London airports and midlands airports.

Disclaimer: I always try to co-operate with the security guidelines and be polite (except from yesterday when the security at the end was behaving completely unreasonably). This means that all my equipment is packed and un-packed (per security guidance) during the security check, all the batteries are lower than the limit of 100Wh. They are in LiPo-bags with their ports specifically covered and protected;.


I put in one tray the drone bag (the usual fly-more combo bag), and the bag with the rest of my gear including the extra batteries in another tray. The gear+batteries tray passed the x-rays check and was collected immediately by me. The drone bag stayed for further check.

One lady, who already was behaving in an irritating manner with other travellers as well, approaches me holding my tray (drone bag). She already had showed signs of irritation to me due to the fact that I was standing at the other side of the security desk. She opened my bag, even though I had told her I want to handle these myself per her guidance. She argued that no, she had to do it herself. She handled the Mavic Air without knowing what it is and without my demanding care, she went through the back pockets, removed every cable in a kind of a rude way. At the end, she showed a feeling that she did not know why she was checking the bag in the first place as everything seemed ok. The Mavic Air was sitting aside as it wasn’t a suspicious object at the moment. And then, here it comes;


Dialogue: (between me and the irritated security woman)

• What’s this?
• It’s a drone
• Oh, no no no this is not allowed with you, I have to confiscate it; I will check with my supervisor

(The nearby security man looked at us surpised)

There was no further thought for her; Only the keyword drone was an alarm for confiscation to her.

She took the drone, even though I insisted that I want myself to handle this expensive piece of gear. Her reply was that this gear is now hers, does not belong to me until she says so.

After a while she came back confirming that the supervisor hadn’t allowed for the drone to travel with me and it had to stay back (confiscated). No further details. And that’s the point that I went furious and almost crazy (I couldn’t resist anymore). I started to say that I had obeyed every rule. The battery is discharged to ~40% and I tried to indicate it too. I insisted on the fact that it is much less under the limit of 100Wh and it is legally allowed on board. She said no word about my other bag since that bag had already passed the initial check and no questions were asked. No mention about the total number of batteries etc.

And then, the all surprised security man from nearby stepped in and said to her:
Dialogue: (between friendly security guy and the hysterical security woman)

• What’s this? Oh, a Mavic Air, I have a mavic pro; Of course it can travel.
• No it can’t (she insisted).
• Please check again, I see those all the time and I am allowing on board; It’s legal for it to be on board; We have no authority to keep it.

She went back and then when she returned she said that the manager now told her it is ok to travel but it has to be on the hold luggage and not in my carry on; she had to check it in the hold. Then I was even more crazy, I had lost all my patience at the moment; people nearby were trying to support me since they knew that this behaviour of the security was unreasonable. For the third time, she goes back (after the other security man prompt her one more time); at the end she accepted to allow it in my carry on as soon as the battery was kept separate from the drone.

WTF, this is more unreasonable, I thought. The regulations say that the battery has to be equipped on the device otherwise it should be protected in a LiPo bag with port covers. I didn’t fight more. I said that’s absolutely ok, will do.


I put the battery back on the drone and I left.

During the whole event, there was no mention by the security about keywords like: LiPo bags, port covers, charge level, number of batteries, Wh.
... It’s just a drone.

Lessons:

1. I am always prepared for situations like this; but come on, it is hard to remain patient. I could not imagine something so unreasonable.
2. It does’t matter if you try to point out the regulation or the laws; they try to tell you that they don’t care.
3. The can be rude and nobody give a [Language Removed by Moderator].
4. I could easily lose my flight since I wouldn’t leave my drone there. At the end I don’t know what would have been more costly.
5. We will always be in the target from now on, since many people start becoming drone heaters; they are just getting alarmed in the keyword “Drone”

At the end, there was no further checks or statements about my gear bag which had 5 more mavic batteries, one battery-bank, camera batteries, camera flash speed-lite batteries. They could have clearly checked me for these but no! The drone was the only problem with its just one equipped battery that they found. (As I told the gear bag passed the check during the initial scan). Not even questions about my flight (airline etc.)

My only question that I could ask you. Is there any official authority that I could file a complain about the security of the airport?
Also, how could I have avoided the situation ? I have been traveling with my mavic since its release last year. I have been to airports outside Europe. No issues at all. Any experiences from anyone or advise ?

Hope that this situation will be taken into account by fellow drone-travellers and have the same luck as me (not losing a flight or their drone); As it seems, it starts to be a pure luck if you can travel with a drone from now on.

If you read it till the end, thanks I appreciate it...
P.S

1. Don’t say that you have a drone. It is just an unmanned aerial device (or just UAV); maybe it is less alarming to ignorant people.
2. Why I still think that they wanted to just keep my drone for their personal pleasure ?

I'm also a very frequent flyer both domestically and internationally and have worked in the security space for many years. I'm always nervous when travelling with my mavic pro for exactly the reason you have portrayed here. All it takes is a misinformed or uneducated security guard who thinks they're a big fish in a small pond and want to flex their muscles to make up for their lack of knowledge.
I think the best move is to immediately ask for a supervisor or manager as they're likely to know the rules and a guard isn't going to want to be shown up by you. I'd also point out an intention to lodge a complaint regarding their attitude with the same manager. Part of the problem is that you're dealing with the lowest paid, bottom rung on the ladder who finds themselves in a position of power they're ill equipped to administer properly. There are many such guards who are switched on, personable and know their stuff but sadly it only takes one bad one to really mess with your day, and inevitably you will run across one sooner or later.

 

[Dizzy1971]

Always travel with my Mavic Zoom in the main luggage with all my lipos well protected in my cabin luggage as required by law. Like this you avoid all kind of questions and problems.

That could be a pretty expensive piece of lost luggage one day. Up to you,but as a traveling photographer I never pack lenses or camera bodies in a checked bag...it’s just begging for problems.

 

[Dizzy1971]

I'm usually a super-nice, laid-back guy until I have to deal with someone like you described. In hindsight, best to keep a very cool, logical head and keep asking for a supervisor or manager. EVERYONE has at least one boss. EVERYONE.

Not me.... I have no bosses. I’m like one of those millennials who believes myself to be my own country.

 

[drakkor]

Hi everyone; During the last year, I have been following the forum but never had the chance to post something. Now, I think it’s the time ..

Yesterday I met the most crazy behaviour in an airport ever (London Luton). I am a frequent traveler and as always I travel with my camera gear equipement; including my drone, a Mavic Air. I have travelled through all London airports and midlands airports.

Disclaimer: I always try to co-operate with the security guidelines and be polite (except from yesterday when the security at the end was behaving completely unreasonably). This means that all my equipment is packed and un-packed (per security guidance) during the security check, all the batteries are lower than the limit of 100Wh. They are in LiPo-bags with their ports specifically covered and protected;.


I put in one tray the drone bag (the usual fly-more combo bag), and the bag with the rest of my gear including the extra batteries in another tray. The gear+batteries tray passed the x-rays check and was collected immediately by me. The drone bag stayed for further check.

One lady, who already was behaving in an irritating manner with other travellers as well, approaches me holding my tray (drone bag). She already had showed signs of irritation to me due to the fact that I was standing at the other side of the security desk. She opened my bag, even though I had told her I want to handle these myself per her guidance. She argued that no, she had to do it herself. She handled the Mavic Air without knowing what it is and without my demanding care, she went through the back pockets, removed every cable in a kind of a rude way. At the end, she showed a feeling that she did not know why she was checking the bag in the first place as everything seemed ok. The Mavic Air was sitting aside as it wasn’t a suspicious object at the moment. And then, here it comes;


Dialogue: (between me and the irritated security woman)

• What’s this?
• It’s a drone
• Oh, no no no this is not allowed with you, I have to confiscate it; I will check with my supervisor

(The nearby security man looked at us surpised)

There was no further thought for her; Only the keyword drone was an alarm for confiscation to her.

She took the drone, even though I insisted that I want myself to handle this expensive piece of gear. Her reply was that this gear is now hers, does not belong to me until she says so.

After a while she came back confirming that the supervisor hadn’t allowed for the drone to travel with me and it had to stay back (confiscated). No further details. And that’s the point that I went furious and almost crazy (I couldn’t resist anymore). I started to say that I had obeyed every rule. The battery is discharged to ~40% and I tried to indicate it too. I insisted on the fact that it is much less under the limit of 100Wh and it is legally allowed on board. She said no word about my other bag since that bag had already passed the initial check and no questions were asked. No mention about the total number of batteries etc.

And then, the all surprised security man from nearby stepped in and said to her:
Dialogue: (between friendly security guy and the hysterical security woman)

• What’s this? Oh, a Mavic Air, I have a mavic pro; Of course it can travel.
• No it can’t (she insisted).
• Please check again, I see those all the time and I am allowing on board; It’s legal for it to be on board; We have no authority to keep it.

She went back and then when she returned she said that the manager now told her it is ok to travel but it has to be on the hold luggage and not in my carry on; she had to check it in the hold. Then I was even more crazy, I had lost all my patience at the moment; people nearby were trying to support me since they knew that this behaviour of the security was unreasonable. For the third time, she goes back (after the other security man prompt her one more time); at the end she accepted to allow it in my carry on as soon as the battery was kept separate from the drone.

WTF, this is more unreasonable, I thought. The regulations say that the battery has to be equipped on the device otherwise it should be protected in a LiPo bag with port covers. I didn’t fight more. I said that’s absolutely ok, will do.


I put the battery back on the drone and I left.

During the whole event, there was no mention by the security about keywords like: LiPo bags, port covers, charge level, number of batteries, Wh.
... It’s just a drone.

Lessons:

1. I am always prepared for situations like this; but come on, it is hard to remain patient. I could not imagine something so unreasonable.
2. It does’t matter if you try to point out the regulation or the laws; they try to tell you that they don’t care.
3. The can be rude and nobody give a [Language Removed by Moderator].
4. I could easily lose my flight since I wouldn’t leave my drone there. At the end I don’t know what would have been more costly.
5. We will always be in the target from now on, since many people start becoming drone heaters; they are just getting alarmed in the keyword “Drone”

At the end, there was no further checks or statements about my gear bag which had 5 more mavic batteries, one battery-bank, camera batteries, camera flash speed-lite batteries. They could have clearly checked me for these but no! The drone was the only problem with its just one equipped battery that they found. (As I told the gear bag passed the check during the initial scan). Not even questions about my flight (airline etc.)

My only question that I could ask you. Is there any official authority that I could file a complain about the security of the airport?
Also, how could I have avoided the situation ? I have been traveling with my mavic since its release last year. I have been to airports outside Europe. No issues at all. Any experiences from anyone or advise ?

Hope that this situation will be taken into account by fellow drone-travellers and have the same luck as me (not losing a flight or their drone); As it seems, it starts to be a pure luck if you can travel with a drone from now on.

If you read it till the end, thanks I appreciate it...
P.S

1. Don’t say that you have a drone. It is just an unmanned aerial device (or just UAV); maybe it is less alarming to ignorant people.
2. Why I still think that they wanted to just keep my drone for their personal pleasure ?

Wow, this is the kind of experience I always fear about when traveling, and I am sorry for you that you have to live it for real there. Glad you managed to get your drone back at the end though.

But so far, I never had any problem with my Mavic Pro 2 during airport security screening *touch wood*. The only problem I had was because of the 3rd party battery charger I use (the one that can charge 3 batteries at once + the controller), that looks like some kind of weird device with lot of wires coming out of it under x-ray, so often they ask me to show them what it is. Although, if I see someone from security that starts to look weirdly at my drone or ask what it is, I always get ready to say that this is a "toy for my kid". Due to its small fordable size, my Mavic could definitely pass for a toy, compared to those that uses bigger craft such as the phantoms. And as soon as you use the sentence "my kid", people also tend to be nicer to you.