Ponies and TSA

[Web Monkey]

I did a search and it wasn't helpful.

Has anyone tried traveling with a pony bottle LATELY?

It's completely legal according to the TSA, however they may or may not let you on the plane with it (they may consider it a potential weapon).

You stand a better chance of getting it in your checked baggage, although it's pretty heavy and will eat up a lot of your weight allowance. Also, the TSA agent at the airport can say "no" no matter what their rules say, and there's nothing you can do about it, which may give you the choice of leaving your pony bottle in the trash can or missing your flight.

Another thing to consider is that even though the TSA says it's OK, the airline doesn't have to accept it. They can have their own rules about what they will or won't allow.

Terry

 

[Scared Silly]

However in this case, there is a good reason not to travel with compressed gas cylinders. The pressure at 8000' (I *think* that is cabin pressure) is much less vs. Sea level, and the gas would expand. That is not a huge factor, but if the cabin looses pressure, the plane maybe at 30,000 feet. I'm not going to do the math, but there is a possibility that a full tank *could* explode. Last I checked explosions on planes were a "BAD" thing!

Typical cruising altitude is around 8000' which is the equivalent of around 10 PSI (as opposed to the 14.7 we all know to be sea level). That means that our 3000 PSI tank is no longer 204 x atmospheric pressure, but it is now 300 x more pressure inside the tank than ambient pressure. As Ronfrank says under depressurization, the tank could explode. This is because at 30,000-40,000' (3-4psi) we now have 750-1000 x more pressure inside the tank than ambient pressure

Ron, you really need to do the math. And Tolton you might want to repeat middle school algebra, perhaps even grade school math as the ratio between ambient pressure and the pressure inside the cylinder has zero bearing on the integrity of the cylinder. It is the differential that matters.

If you take a cylinder at sea level filled to 200 bar absolute the differential is 199 bar. Now lets launch that cylinder into space where is there is no atmosphere and now the differential is a whopping 200 bar. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, she's gonna blow.


BTW planes travel with pressurized oxygen cylinders all the time. Especially in small planes that are not pressurized.

 

[RICHinNC]

Thanks....good to be back.

MATH!!??

I def concur with the suggestion of printing off the TSA website comments and wrapping them around the pony. I have always done that.

Bought my plane tickets last night....19 to 26 Sept.....

Who wants to go diving????

 

[NudeDiver]

Scared Silly:

Than you for providing evidence that basic science and math has not COMPLETELY disappeared from the public school system.

Of course....at the rate we're going, it should only take a few more years.

 

[Graeme Tolton]

Either way, the airlines will never permit a full cylinder the be checked or carried on because they don't know that it is really air in the cylinder, not some explosive or poisonous gas.

 

[Scared Silly]

Never say never. My grandmother took a full cylinder on board once. Absolutely no problem what so ever, even though it was pure O2 .

 

[RICHinNC]

After yesterday, the tank is the least of my worries. Delta announced yesterday they were cutting back on over 13% of their "overseas" flights. When I called Delta to see if Bonaire was one of them the lady said it meant "mostly" transcontinental flights. But she was not positive.

If my hotel hadnt given me a guanrantee in writing that I would get my deposit back if Delta does me over, I would change locations right now.

 

[DPJ]

That flight has usually been full at high rates. It is probably safe. If you want to see if it is likely to get cut, check the availability of seats. That flight is only a weekly or biweekly route depending on season. It is much more likely they are cutting out the flights that are daily or more often (ie more empty seats).

 

[NudeDiver]

Couldn't you just take a flight with someone else?

 

[RICHinNC]

DPJ---The good news is Liz at GRI has said if I get hosed over on my flight, I will get my deposit back. I have only a one week window this year for a vacation....it is then or not at all.

And yes I have been checking the seat availability. I travel a lot in my work and I learned that little trick a while back!!

ND....as for going with another airlines, I guess I could, but not all airlines fly out of every airport as you well know and for me to get to another airlines that goes to Bonaire is VERY cost prohibitive. One of the dive mags did a story a couple years back about how the "average" diver makes 6 figures, takes at least 2 vacations a year and so on. I guess I am a significantly LESS than average diver.