Flying with helmet

If it's in its original box, is it alright to check it in or do I want to keep
it as hand luggage?

 

Champ, or someone, will tell you that the original box was suitable for
shipping the helmet originally, so will be fine on a plane.

Personally, I carry mine hand luggage in a helmet case.

 

Hand luggage. If they object, wear it.

 

It's a Weapon of Mass Dentation innit?

 

Big Teeth?

 

Stuff that, stick in the crate with the motorbike !

 

Cavity search?

 

It was me.

So do I. Whenever I've had cause to fly anywhere there's a bike to be
ridden on the other end of the journey, I've worn the bike kit on the
plane to save luggage space in the throwovers I've checked in and
carried my lid onto the plane as hand luggage in a proper padded Arai
race bag.

 

I've done it three times since they introduced all the new security
measures. Once from Stansted to Newcastle to collect the Thunderace
from Colin, then to Nice where I borrowed Jas's ER-5 for the week, and
then to Belfast where I collected the Gixer from Hog.

The fact I was in bike kit didn't matter a bit, I got through the
security checks as quick as anyone else.

 

For several years I've been riding to Leeds and Manc airports and walking
straight to the flight with my full riding gear on. No problem. I've been
asked to check my helmet in once when it was uncovered, I refused and stated
it was an item of personal safety equipment and fragile. When in the rather
lovely supplied carry bag, no problem.

 

Problem is I already have a hand luggage bag, and the lid ain't fitting in
there. And if I wear it, I'll probably fall foul of some new-fangled
anti-terror legislation.

 

In addition to your "normal" hand luggage? I'm going with Easyjet and I have
a feeling they'll try to shag me at every turn. I already have a normal hand
luggage bag and a guitar[1], but I think trying to carry a lid on board as
well is going to be seen as too much of a piss-take.

[1] Which is shockingly allowed in hand luggage according to
http://www.easyjet.com/en/planning/baggage.html

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, TD

Easyjet may well be relaxed about it, but depending on which airport
you're going from you may still have a problem.

Last time I went through Luton they were enforcing a "one piece of hand
baggage" rule at security very strictly.

 

FFS. FWIW, there was no problem at Heathrow last time I took a guitar in
addition to the normal hand luggage.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, TD

Terrorist.

 

Have they changed the rules then? When I was flying last year it was
"One piece of hand baggage and one personal item".

Which essentially meant my suitcase and my laptop bag. I was never refused.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,

It varies from airport to airport in the UK.

Basically, you have to guess.

 

I didn't take off my belt either!

By the way, http://www.london-luton.co.uk/en/content/3/80/security.html
suggests:
"Each passenger is permitted to carry ONE item of cabin baggage through the
airport security search point, the size of this item is restricted to a small
trolley case.

In addition to the one item permitted above, each passenger may carry a
musical instrument in its case."

I could put some strings on the lid I suppose, and pass it off as a neckless
sitar.

 

See http://www.london-luton.co.uk/en/content/3/80/security.html

"LAP TOP COMPUTERS COUNT AS ONE PIECE OF HAND BAGGAGE AND SHOULD BE REMOVED
FROM CASE PRIOR TO SCREENING"

Caps and grammar not altered to enable pedants to fill boots.

 

Heh. I would love to see their faces if I tried that with my double bass.