Travel restrictions - do not take your drone to Turkey

[frequentflyer]

***updated ***
2017 battery travelling restrictions have been lifted. See my last post reply. I travelled to Turkey Easter 2018. All fine


Original Post
Well that's it!
After all the excitement and the practice with my new Mavic the bubble is popped.
Confirmed : You can no longer take your batteries in the cabin or hold when flying back from Turkey.

These restrictions are from the UK government.

 

[Cyberpower678]

Restrictions actually came from the US which the UK decided to use too. Total nonsense.

 

[frequentflyer]

Restrictions actually came from the US which the UK decided to use too. Total nonsense.

I agree but think it's Turkey that have added the battery amendment.

 

[Strafe1]

What exactly are the restrictions you're talking about?

 

[mildim]

Could we have a link please ?

 

[frequentflyer]

This is regards to flight into UK from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia

Easyjet - Latest Travel information | easyJet (no mention of 1.5cm thickness)
We recommend that passengers do not bring large personal electronic devices if possible and would encourage customers to check in their hand baggage free of charge and bring only essential items on board the aircraft. Any portable power sources and spare or separate device batteries that are larger than 16cm X 9.3cm will not be permitted in the hold or the cabin of the aircraft and will not be able to travel.

UK Government summary; Additional hand luggage restrictions on some flights to the UK - GOV.UK
Under the new arrangements, passengers boarding flights from these countries to the UK will not be allowed to take phones, laptops and tablets and peripheral devices as outlined below that exceed any one of the following dimensions: length: 16.0cm, width: 9.3cm, depth: 1.5cm into the cabin of the plane

 

[frequentflyer]

Could we have a link please ?

Think I'm waiting for my post to be moderated as it has a link
What about peripheral devices?
The following peripheral devices, designed to be used with either a phone, laptop or tablet and exceeding any one of the following dimensions:

• length: 16.0cm
• width: 9.3cm
• depth: 1.5cm

will not be allowed in the cabin:

• keyboards
• power cable transformers
• external hard drives

will not be allowed on board the aircraft in either cabin or hold baggage:

• spare or separate device batteries
• portable power sources

Existing safety regulations mean that spare batteries and portable power sources can no longer be carried on board aircraft operating on affected routes in either cabin or hold baggage.

Passengers should contact their airline for further information.

 

[rabidhyena]

Perhaps post them back? Or leave the battery there and consider it a cost of flying on holiday?

 

[Cyberpower678]

What exactly are the restrictions you're talking about?

Could we have a link please ?

To sum it up the US imposed restrictions on several airlines of numerous countries forcing all electronics larger than a smartphone to be checked in baggage. Of course Li-ION batteries can't be checked and brought on board. So essentially you can't travel with the Mavic, to the US, unless you intend to leave the batteries behind. The UK thought the restrictions were a great idea and decided to adopt the restrictions from the US. So basically if you're flying back from the affected countries you're effectively screwed.

 

[frequentflyer]

Any issues with the controller?

 

[mildim]

Think I'm waiting for my post to be moderated as it has a link
What about peripheral devices?
The following peripheral devices, designed to be used with either a phone, laptop or tablet and exceeding any one of the following dimensions:

• length: 16.0cm
• width: 9.3cm
• depth: 1.5cm

will not be allowed in the cabin:

• keyboards
• power cable transformers
• external hard drives

will not be allowed on board the aircraft in either cabin or hold baggage:

• spare or separate device batteries
• portable power sources

Existing safety regulations mean that spare batteries and portable power sources can no longer be carried on board aircraft operating on affected routes in either cabin or hold baggage.

Passengers should contact their airline for further information.

Thanks for the answer.

 

[limbows]

But the mavic itself without batts, dslr&lenses is okay correct?

 

[Ebruce]

Uggh -- are you touring.? Visiting Family?. What about shipping it? I know that's a heart thumper but, sounds like the only work around you have--

 

[BorisTheSpider]

As far as I recall lithium batteries "attached to the device they are used with" are not prohibited in hold luggage, so you can take the mavic and one battery. Check with your airline though.

 

[AlanTheBeast]

I agree but think it's Turkey that have added the battery amendment.

No. It's the US and then the UK that have told all airlines originating flights from certain airports that no personal electronics larger than a cell phone are to be permitted in the cabin. Airlines implement the checks to be compliant with US and/or British policy/rules. The Turkish government may be involved because they own Istanbul airport. Ankara is not affected (US list, maybe on the Brit list).

Since Li-ion batteries are generally prohibited from being in checked baggage you can put your drone in there - but not the batteries. You cannot carry drone batteries in the cabin due to the new restriction.

 

[BorisTheSpider]

Lithium batteries are not prohibited from hold luggage if they are part of a "device containing...." a lithium battery.

So a mavic, or any other portable electronic device, with a lithium battery of less than 100Wh is OK in hold luggage if measures are taken to prevent unintentional activation. To me, that would mean covering the power button such that it can't be set off in the hold (maybe taping a bit of stiff cardboard over it) plus discharging the battery to maybe 20% before traveling.

Items that are allowed in baggage | UK Civil Aviation Authority

 

[AlanTheBeast]

Lithium batteries are not prohibited from hold luggage if they are part of a "device containing...." a lithium battery.

So a mavic, or any other portable electronic device, with a lithium battery of less than 100Wh is OK in hold luggage if measures are taken to prevent unintentional activation. To me, that would mean covering the power button such that it can't be set off in the hold (maybe taping a bit of stiff cardboard over it) plus discharging the battery to maybe 20% before traveling.

Items that are allowed in baggage | UK Civil Aviation Authority

Good point - but I travel with 2 extra batteries ... so there's that...

 

[OneOak]

Well that's it!
After all the excitement and the practice with my new Mavic the bubble is popped.
Confirmed : You can no longer take your batteries in the cabin or hold when flying back from Turkey.

These restrictions are from the UK government

I looked at all the posts and also the UK Governement Websites, plus the Turkey drone Registration site and finally I went to the airline desk at the airport - here are my conclusions.

1. You are all incorrect and giving poor advice.
2. The battery restrictions ONLY apply to "laptops, tablets and phones over the specified size, and also to devices or battery packs to be used with those items"
3. Drones are allowed in hand luggage, are allowed on Turkish Airlines and ARE allowed in to Turkey.
4. The battery for the Mavic is classed as a camera battery and not subject to the new restrictions.
5. The batteries, being approx 43wh capacity, MUST be carried in hand luggage and NOT in the hold.
6. The new Turkish drone registration system and legality is ONLY applicable to devices with a take off weight of 5kg or over, making the Mavic exempt.

How do I know all this to be 100% accurate? Because I've just returned from Turkey flying from Manchester in the UK, with the Mavic and 3 batteries and had absolutely no issues through any of the security checks. Yes they did request to look at the device and checked the power output of the batteries and said they were all OK.

I'm glad I did my research instead of relying on speculation and now have some great footage from around Antalya to remember my trip with.

Anyone wanting to ask any questions, please feel free. Happy flying and teşekkür ederim!

 

[Ziggy01]

I looked at all the posts and also the UK Governement Websites, plus the Turkey drone Registration site and finally I went to the airline desk at the airport - here are my conclusions.

1. You are all incorrect and giving poor advice.
2. The battery restrictions ONLY apply to "laptops, tablets and phones over the specified size, and also to devices or battery packs to be used with those items"
3. Drones are allowed in hand luggage, are allowed on Turkish Airlines and ARE allowed in to Turkey.
4. The battery for the Mavic is classed as a camera battery and not subject to the new restrictions.
5. The batteries, being approx 43wh capacity, MUST be carried in hand luggage and NOT in the hold.
6. The new Turkish drone registration system and legality is ONLY applicable to devices with a take off weight of 5kg or over, making the Mavic exempt.

How do I know all this to be 100% accurate? Because I've just returned from Turkey flying from Manchester in the UK, with the Mavic and 3 batteries and had absolutely no issues through any of the security checks. Yes they did request to look at the device and checked the power output of the batteries and said they were all OK.

I'm glad I did my research instead of relying on speculation and now have some great footage from around Antalya to remember my trip with.

Anyone wanting to ask any questions, please feel free. Happy flying and teşekkür ederim!

Whew!

I was just reading this with a growing sense of anxiety. I'm traveling to Greece via Istanbul next month with a shipload of camera gear including a Mavic and 3 batteries. I'll discharge them for general safety prior to departing Sydney and take them in my camera backpack.

Really appreciate your post!

 

[Montana]

Dadgum terrorist ruined everything