Chiff and Fipple Forums

Has anyone out there done any air travel with whistles lately (particularly whistles in your carry-on)? Have you encountered any hassles with security? While I'm planning to pack some of my metal whistles in my checked luggage when I go to Ireland, I'd thought to stick a PVC one in my carry-on, in case my checked luggage takes its own sweet time arriving at Shannon.

Last time I flew (in April), it seemed the list of "no-fly" objects had grown considerably. While whistles, of course, weren't explicitly forbidden (though fi the FTC were to hear the highest notes played on my Eb, they might put in a special category just for it!), there were several similarly shaped objects in the display case at San Jose airport.

Redwolf

I'm going to travel by airplane in two months, and I'll have to carry all my whistles.
I plan to put all of them in my carry-on bag. I think that we never know if it could be a problem with the luggage, and I prefer to carry them in a secure way, with me.
I don't think that there could be a problem with that. They are, after all, little instruments, not massive destruction weapons.
If someone asked to see what I carry inside my bag (I have some metal whistles), I'd show them without troubles.

Cheers,
Martin

Bothrops wrote:I'm going to travel by airplane in two months, and I'll have to carry all my whistles.
I plan to put all of them in my carry-on bag. I think that we never know if it could be a problem with the luggage, and I prefer to carry them in a secure way, with me.
I don't think that there could be a problem with that. They are, after all, little instruments, not massive destruction weapons.
If someone asked to see what I carry inside my bag (I have some metal whistles), I'd show them without troubles.

Cheers,
Martin

Some of the things our airlines are restricting are pretty silly. Nail clippers and files, for instance (I can just see it now..."Fly me to Cuba, or I'll start doing manicures!" Or, for whistlers: "Fly me to Pakistan or I'll play feckin' Danny Boy until your ears bleed!")

Seriously, though, many of the items you're explicitly not to carry (at least flying out of the U.S.) are ordinary things that you'd really have to work to find a weaponly use for.

Redwolf

I fly every week with whistles in my carry-on. They may ask to look at your bag if they don't recognize what they are, but there should be no problem taking whistles on the airplane. They are more likely to toss your bag if you are brown or long-haired or otherwise deviate from the basic white bidnessman profile, but even then, they'll still let you take them on.

If they do ask to search your bag, you should ask them to put on clean gloves. You do not want them touching your whistles with the same gloves they used to rummage through someone else's underwear and socks. If they refuse, ask for a supervisor.

Harmonicas are more likely to cause problems than whistles. I have seen what whistles look like on the x-ray, and you can tell what they are if you have even half a brain, which, of course, excludes much of the TSA.

Harmonicas is quite understandable. I don't even dare to try to imagine what sort of 3rd-world miscreant would attempt to carry harmonicas on an airplane.

Book him, Danno. Mouth organ One!

djm

I fly regularly as well and have never had any issues with whistles in my carry on. Of course, when I fly with my uilleann pipes, that's another message thread.

For those who fly regularly, ever wonder why everyone gets to carry on a guitar gig bag?? I was in Houston last Wednesday and marveled at the number of guitars being carried as carry-on.

Back to our normally sponsored thread....

fel bautista wrote:I fly regularly as well and have never had any issues with whistles in my carry on. Of course, when I fly with my uilleann pipes, that's another message thread.

For those who fly regularly, ever wonder why everyone gets to carry on a guitar gig bag?? I was in Houston last Wednesday and marveled at the number of guitars being carried as carry-on.

Back to our normally sponsored thread....

They're lucky, though, if they get them past the flight attendants at the entrance to the airplane. An awful lot of people carrying guitars seem doomed to watch their precious instruments being tossed into the baggage hold at the last possible moment.

I had considered taking my lap harp (which is quite a bit smaller than a guitar) to Ireland, but decided, from what I was seeing and hearing, that it was just too risky.

Redwolf

An awful lot of people carrying guitars seem doomed to watch their precious instruments being tossed into the baggage hold at the last possible moment.

If it's a valuable instrument, most guitarists buy their guitar it's own seat just to avoid the possibility that the airport baggage handlers ever get a chance to have their way with it.

djm

when I have to fly I carry a set of uilleanns and 5 whistles in a 4"diameter pvc sewer pipe with end caps. It all fits in a backpack. I made my drone stock where it is easy to unplug, I keep the bag and bellows lose in the backpack. They have not questioned me, which I find surprising

djm wrote:

An awful lot of people carrying guitars seem doomed to watch their precious instruments being tossed into the baggage hold at the last possible moment.

If it's a valuable instrument, most guitarists buy their guitar it's own seat just to avoid the possibility that the airport baggage handlers ever get a chance to have their way with it.

djm

That can get pretty pricey! I don't imagine many can afford to do so, especially these days, with rising travel charges, unless the instrument is extremely valuable. A second seat on the trip I'm taking this summer, for example, would cost over $2,000. It would have to be a very valuable instrument indeed, and something one really needed to have on the other side (for example, if one were a professional musician), to be worth that kind of expenditure

However, even a less "valuable" instrument can be difficult to replace, or can have sentimental value, which is why my lap harp isn't coming to Ireland with me. It's not an expensive harp by any means, but it would still hurt to see it come off the plane in pieces.

Redwolf

I use to take a little extra money and when I was in Mexico or Europe I would buy a guitar, play it for the months I was there and birng it home and double my money at least. but those days are gone with the yankee dollar approching confederate value
that cut my chances in half of damage in the aeroplanes hold.

From a past thread, I recall the suggestion to call it a "musical instrument" if they ask what it is. "Whistle" might be confused with "signaling device."

I would avoid the trouble and just take a PVC whistle that you don't mind losing. You're going to all the expense of travel, so spend your time enjoying the country, not doing the same thing you'd do at home.

Redwolf wrote:Has anyone out there done any air travel with whistles lately (particularly whistles in your carry-on)? Have you encountered any hassles with security? While I'm planning to pack some of my metal whistles in my checked luggage when I go to Ireland, I'd thought to stick a PVC one in my carry-on, in case my checked luggage takes its own sweet time arriving at Shannon.

I highly recommend against putting whistles in checked luggage. I've never had any trouble with instruments as carry ons (high and low whistles of various materials, a bodhran, a concertina, a travel fiddle...not all at once though) but I have heard of things - including instruments - disappearing from checked bags.

I've flown with whistles and a Hammy practice flute twice this year.

Never any trouble...oops I'll take that back. The TSA made me play a jig at the metal detector because they thought the Hammy practice flute might be a club. Other than that no problems with carry on tooters.

Doc

Lambchop wrote:From a past thread, I recall the suggestion to call it a "musical instrument" if they ask what it is. "Whistle" might be confused with "signaling device."

I would avoid the trouble and just take a PVC whistle that you don't mind losing. You're going to all the expense of travel, so spend your time enjoying the country, not doing the same thing you'd do at home.

Well...one of the reasons I'm traveling is to make music! It would be rather silly to fly all the way to Ireland to hang out and make music with friends, and have nothing to make music with.

I do agree about the name, however. Most people (at least those who aren't into some kind of traditional music) can't seem to quite get their heads around putting the word "whistle" and the concept of a musical instrument together. I played at church last week, and my poor Elfsong was referred to variously as a "pipe," a "flute," an "Irish flute," a "Celtic flute," and (gulp!) a "recorder." I finally got to the point where, whenever someone would say "I like your flute," I'd just smile, nod, and say "Is feadóg í" (giving the impression that I was saying "thank you")

Redwolf