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Traveling with Dionic Batteries


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Depends which airline you are flying. I travel quite a bit with Li Ion Batts (My day job is shooting News). Some airlines, Qantas for example, it is policy that all Li Ion Batts must be carried on, and must be individually seperated in a "suitable" case. Often this policy is not enforced and most often if I mention carrying on batteries to airline staff I draw a blank look. I have heard of guys in Oz being asked "where are your battteries?" and in a couple of instances the flight has been held up while the hold is unloaded, the offending batteries are retreived and then carried onboard. Over the top pehaps, but as Dustin Hoffman said in Rainman, Qantas has the best saftey record of any international airline.

 

Personally I usually pack two batts in a Pelican case in the hold, one on the camera and one in my carry on bag (that way if I'm asked by airline staff I can say, yep I've got my bateries here, plus I've got to carry the camera and bare essentials onboard, a good news camo is like a boy scout, always prepared!). Any batts that go in the hold I tape the terminals and, pack in a pelican. It can be a good idea to carry a copy of any docs from AB/IDX to say the batts you are carrying are not dangerous goods.

 

http://www.idxtek.com/IDXairtransport.pdf

 

Bit different I guess with steadicam/production, you'd normally put everything underneath, then it would come down to airline policy, in which case there is no guarantee the airline staff will even be aware of such policy?! Go figure.

 

The safest way is actually to carry the batts onboard, where you should eliminate the risk of them being ruptured and then setting the aircraft on fire and .......etc. I don't think that's a real risk if they're packed in a pelican case, hence my choice to pack them.

 

That's just how I do it, for what it's worth!

 

Brad.

Edited by brad smith
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Claus,

 

I will try and clarify things in brief. The airlines are getting tougher in regards to ALL batteries that are being brought onto a plane, whether they are checked in baggage or carried on the plane. This is mainly due to the fire in the overhead bin back in February, in which an ENG camera was to blame.

 

The Dionic 90's are not restricted in any manner. However, to ensure that you won't have any problems, just tape up the "dog house or connnector block" on the rear of the batteries. I would suggest you do this to batteries that are either checked in or carried on.....

 

With regards to the Dionic 160's, they are considered "HAZMAT materials, Class 9" and must be traveled with properly. If bring them on a plane, you are allowed to hand-carry (2) on the plane with you, along with a battery on the camera. If they are in checked in baggage, then they MUST be declared as CLASS 9 HAZMAT materials and shipped/stored properly. Again, you should tape up the terminals, as most airlines will make you do this.

 

Just as a side note, as of January 1, 2008, the FAA/IATA is going to change their regulations on the shipping/travel of lithium ion batteries. With regards to batteries that have more than 8g of aggregate lithium content, you will NO LONGER be able to hand carry the (2) two batteries on the plane with you. You will only be allowed to carry the one battery with the camera. This is just one of the many changes with regards to the travel of lithium/lithium ion batteries that is coming in the near future. As I mentioned earlier, the continuing instances in regards to lithium ion batteries catching fire/melting/burning on airplanes, has the FAA and IATA really looking at the future travel of all batteries in general.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Paul

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