Here’s a tip we didn’t see coming when we posted our Chase Jarvis TECH: Packing Photography Gear post a few weeks ago: It seems that the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation–effective January 1, 2008–are limiting the number, size, and location of spare lithium batteries we can travel with…
Chances are that if you’re a traveling photographer, you fly with spare lithium-ion batteries for laptops, cameras, flashes, etc. They’re the juice behind darn near everything. I know that we normally travel with boatloads of these things. I mean LOTS of ’em. But no longer can we:
Here’s the official press release for the new rule. By my understanding, this is an FAA/DOT regulation that has to do with the air/flight safety of these batteries and is not a TSA regulation. Quick research has it that lithium batteries are volatile and that if/when they catch fire, they burn HOT. (You heard about those laptop fires and this cargo plane fire…) Reportedly, if they catch fire in the belly of the plane, the mechanism for extinguishing such a blaze down there is insufficient. That explains why they want you to carry just a couple of them on board into the cabin – allowing use of a more effective fire extinguisher in the passenger portion of the plane to put them out quickly.
Experts say this should “not inconvenience the general traveling public” but will most likely affect “photography and video professionals”. That’s us.
[Video: Chase Jarvis TECH: Packing Photography Gear.]
[The DOT’s “extra battery” travel tips.]
Helooooooooooooow???
Who the fuck is comming up to this stupit idea?
kurt
@fhfoto
thanks for setting me straight.
I’ve no doubt that this will soon go global.
As this is just plain dumb, illogical, unnecessary, etc – why don’t we just say so? Collectively.
I am very pro aviation security but how exactly does this prevent terrorism?
It’s like the 100ml liquid limit – as if 101ml of toothpaste is more hazardous than 100ml. Sheesh! Heavens to murgatroyd.
Let’s all shout “Enough!”.
Know hope.
Wonder when we’ll cop this rule change in Australia, doubt it will be long..
Maybe I should start a business where I rent out batteries at multiple locations around the globe where photogs can pickup batteries for their location shoots..haha
I wonder what is next.
In reading other blogs I found a nice solution, which I will also do. Many of the TSA are too busy looking for unchecked lip balm than knowing one battery from another.
Steven Frischling’s blog
http://flyingwithfish.blogspot.com/2007/12/29-december-2007-new-question-can-i.html