Lipo Batteries...Are they safe to travel on a airplane ?

[jgeorgic]

In your past experiences with lipos and airline travel where do you carry them..........
In the luggage or as a carry on ?

Thanks for info !
JG

[AFjetmech]

I doubt these days that you could get anything on to an aircraft that looks like a nice little neatly wrapped pack of C-4. Especially with the wires sticking out! If they take them out of your carry on you may not have time to check them and then its either leave your expensive lipo's behind or watch the rest of your luggage leave without you because there is no time to get it off. Do the safe thing and check it if in doubt.

[Hughes500Bob]

http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/Prohibited%20and%20Permitted%20Items_printerfriend ly_3-16-07.pdf Is a link to the current brochure for prohibited items. Li-Po batteries are not on the list. I did some more research and found that electric wheelchairs must have the batteries disconnected and the battery leads taped up and secured so no shorting can occur.

Personally I would ship them ahead to your destination by a package carrier and avoid the hassle.

[Pinecone]

Your luggage will NOT leave without you. If you do not get on the plane they will remove your luggage. That is the rule to prevent someone from checking some bad stuff then just not boarding.

Others have taken them on board. But I agree, best is to ship ahead or just buy packs at your destinationand sell them when you leave.

[anthony7656]

According to my Head TSA Agent in Seattle you do not want to take it with you in plane. Hughes500bob and Pinecone is right about senting them before you get there, or plan on buying a new one. With current status at check point, any non-standard battery with not be going through, you can try but you will be sure that you will miss your flight. unless you got 4 hr to kill at airport.
Hope this helps out.

[Jermo]

Many new cells and laptops have lipo batteries and variants.

[MarkD]

Many new cells and laptops have lipo batteries and variants.

But they are contained in a nice plastic case without wires sticking out and fit into something that customs can see thats works.

Try getting your heli out - turning on the Tx (which to some dimwits looks like a terrorist device) then plugging in the battery in the check-in hall

[Hughes500Bob]

So .... If you can find a laptop battery that can be adapted to your heli ... You are good to go. :noteworthy or ..... design an electronic device that runs on your heli Li-Po that you can turn on and show it works for the TSA agent. :wink:

[Pinecone]

Not really a problem, only would be if they Xrayed as C4.

[Rickinferno]

A friend of mine tried to take his heli with him to Whistler B.C. and they let him board the plane with his heli and remote but they seized the lipos 6 packs to be exact. He tried to get them back but they said once they seize somethng they have to destroye them in the next 48 hours by law since 9-11.

I sugest you ship thhem a head of time

Rick

[HPSOV2]

Lithium batteries are clasified as dangerous goods under IATA dangerous goods regulations.

Lithium or Lithium-Ion Cells or Batteries-
Spare batteries must be individually protected to prevent short circuits and carried IN CARRY-ON BAGGAGE ONLY. In addition, each spare battery must not exceed the following quantities-
a)refers to Lithium Metal Batteries
b)For lithium ion batteries, an aggregate equivalent lithium content of less than 8g.
Lithium Ion batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of more than 8g, but less than 25g may be carried in carry-on baggage if they are individually protected so as to prevent short circuit and are limited to two spare batteries per person.

This comes from an Australian Airlines dangerous goods manual, but is derived from the international rules so should be similar overseas.
This of course doesn't prevent security from removing LiPo's off you if they believe them to be a security risk (although in my personal experience [outside USA] I have never been stopped at x-ray machines carrying up to 4 lipo's).

[rufusis]

I recently flew AA from DFW to TUL and back. Carried on my CX2, TX, and three lipos.
DFW pulled me aside briefly and 'sniffed' the contents. No prob. TUL didn't even blink.