Best way to fly?

[DM5]

Hey guys,
I'm going to start flying throughout California (Off duty). I am aware my department has to approve flying with a weapon and its very hard to get cleared from what I hear. I wish I could fly armed but I know this is probably not going to happen. Wondering what everyone's experience is with checking a weapon. I'm paranoid about some wonderful employee of the airline or TSA a) taking it b) losing it.

Whats the best way to transport and any advice is welcome. My plan as of yet is to leave a spare Glock 22 up North with family since that will be my primary area I travel. I would much rather carry my normal glock 30.

[P5Ret]

Getting cleared to fly armed off duty is a nightmare to say the least, even flying on official duty is a pain after 9/11. I took one back to DC a few years ago, in checked luggage it was fairly simple process. Declare it at the counter, they have a form you need to fill out or did then. It has to be inside a locked case in the checked bag, ammo separate and not loose, or in mags. I probably forgot one or two of the steps but the airlines have all the info.
Lost or stolen probably happens, not as often we may think, (we tend to be a bit more paranoid about that kind of thing than most) and I think the airline is on the hook once you declare that it is in the checked bag, for replacement. Someone may have more current info, than I do, so don't take any of this for absolute.

[Kendoka]

Drive instead.

[DM5]

Drive instead.

No thanks lol, after working 4 12's or more the last thing I wanna do is roll up the 5.

[Sakiri]

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm

Some airlines/airports might have special restrictions too, I'm not sure. Like, I hear JFK is terrible to bring guns into and fly from but I have no experience with it.

As for paranoid about flying with things, I brought back my Fender Stratocaster from PA last time I came back and I refused to put it in the cargo hold. After everything I've had broken or lost I was *not* putting my baby under there. She flew first class(they stuck her in the FC closet lol)

[DM5]

Getting cleared to fly armed off duty is a nightmare to say the least, even flying on official duty is a pain after 9/11..

I was reading the TSA brief from 2009 I think. They made it seem like the policy was redone and so much better. In fact it made it much harder to fly. As I recall your department could clear you before that time and you didn't have to jump through as much red tape. Now it would seem you have to jump through the whole red tape factory.Unreal this country is.

[9mmepiphany]

I'm going to start flying throughout California (Off duty)

The good thing about flying in CA is that Southwest is cheap...and firearms friendly.

Just show up early, walk up to the counter and tell the ticket person you are traveling with a pistol. Fill out the form, show them it is unloaded, put the form in the case, lock it and put it in your suitcase.

I just use the case the pistol came it...I usually travel with a SIG or S&W...put a padlock through the holes and put the whole thing into my soft sided luggage. It stands less chance of being pilfered by the agent and the same chance as any other piece of luggage being stolen by the handlers or at the luggage carousel. Stand near the outlet chute waiting for your bag.

I've been doing it for years on Southwest and haven't had any problems...I do avoid multi-stop flights

[DM5]

The good thing about flying in CA is that Southwest is cheap...and firearms friendly.

I've been doing it for years on Southwest and haven't had any problems...I do avoid multi-stop flights

Thanks.....Yea Southwest or Jetblue is the only way I fly. Although I lost faith in TSA even more, Long Beach Airport and Jet Blue after letting this abomination on the plane. CPC 21810 perhaps????? Seemed awfully suspicious and the guy told me it was "jewelry" after I told him how awesome they were.

[TURNKEY13]

[BigDogatPlay]

To add a bit to the above... I've flown with loaded mags in the hard case with the gun (gun unloaded of course) and TSA has yet to squeak about it. No loose rounds in the case, and make sure you thoroughly go through your carry on(s) before you get to the airport as one loose round or a mag in your carry on found at screening will be a major PITA.

Procedures can vary a bit from airline to airline and airport to airport. The easiest time for me has been at SFO (where the screeners are not TSA employees, but rather a contractor) and at Sacramento. Since the advent of LEOSA more and more officers are taking their firearms with them when they travel so it's rare these days to find counter workers or TSA people who freak when you declare firearms in your checked bags.

You have to declare at check in that you have an unloaded firearm in your checked baggage. Have your badge and ID handy just in case. You should not be opening your bags for the counter worker. They should be alerting TSA who will (usually) take you and your checked bag to a separate area so that a screener can verify your firearm(s) is unloaded, in an appropriate container and ammo is properly contained. You need to retain your key or combination at all times. At SFO you hand your key to the screener, they open, inspect and then secure the case in your presence and return your key to you.

There should be no forms or tags identifying your bag as containing a firearm. That requirement is pretty much dead as even TSA has figured out that those are red flags for theft. In the old days United used to require a brightly colored tag be affixed to any bag that contained a firearm, but they would allow the string to be tied to the handle and the tag itself to be slipped inside the bag (letter of the policy vs. spirit of the policy).

[Bobby Ricigliano]

The concern over flying with a firearm checked seems overblown. I flew to Chicago (Anti-Gun capital of the world) a few months ago. I checked my unloaded M&P9C at the airport, unloaded magazines and a box of rounds in same suitcase. I filled out a little form, and boarded. They never even asked to see my Creds.

In Chicago, I retrieved my weapon, loaded it, and carried it the whole time I was in Chicago (Thanks to the LEOSA). Thankfully, I never had any issue. I even stopped and chatted it up with a few of Chicago's finest.

End of trip, reversed the process and flew home. Zero issues.

Sidebar: Besides the horrible politics, Chicago is a great town to visit. There is obviously a crime problem there but it seems to be somewhat contained in the urban area. Downtown Chicago is awesome.

[Unit74]

I'm surprised you guys have issues. It's really not that hard. Anyone can fly with a firearm checked.

And flying armed is not all that difficult.... Take the class, get the ufan and keep your heater on you.

[vmcdonnell]

And then they tapped the form (you fill out) to the inside of the case??!!! That form is supposed to be taped to the outside so luggage handlers know it has been inspected!!!

Not true Turnkey. As a former ticket counter/gate/ramp/baggage handler airline employee at SMF I can tell you that we're not supposed to put the tag on the outside to advertise the firearm because of the concern for theft. You can pack your pistol in a hard sided locked case inside your suitcase and they'll put the tag on the outside of the case, but not on the handle of the suitcase, a baggage handler will never see it. That tag is for the TSA and FAA regs, baggage handlers assume everything they get from the TSA has been properly screened by their standards.

As for flying on duty, I was guilty of not being especially thorough in checking letters as long as creds were in order for LEOs. The process is pretty simple:
- Let the ticket counter agent know you're a LEO flying armed, show your letter, get LEO form. The agent will let the gate agent know by phone when you're on your way up so they expect you.
- Let TSA know at exit point upstairs. They won't screen you in the regular line and you cannot go through with other non-LEO travelers in your party.
-Let gate agent know as soon as you get to gate as they'll pre-board you, introduce you to the flight crew so they're aware in case bullets start flying mid air that you're one of the good guys.

We catered to a lot of correctional officers doing prisoner transport, but I always had a few federal agents and local LEOs on some sort of work business.

[TURNKEY13]

[Ron-Solo]

I believe that FAA now requires a teletype from your agency authorizing you to be armed in flight and the letter is no longer valid. You must also have taken a specific course regarding use of firearms on aircraft, which was very brief.

I haven't flown armed since right after 9/11. Rules and procedures change all the time, so check with the airline, your agency, and the FAA for the latest info. TSA doesn't approve/disapprove your status. They just check and make sure everything is in order.