Has anyone had experience with depower/bar kites as carry on luggage? I want to take my 7m as carry on, but was concerned that the people at the security check might somehow perceive the control bar or lines as a threat and not let me pass. Anyone have advice?

I have never had problems at security in Canada with dual line parafoils in my carry on bag, but have not travelled in the US. Could depend on the alert state that Homeland Security has in effect the day you travel.

I usually ask the airline I am booked with for advice.

I don't think I would risk it. Just check it. If you get to the check point and they don't let you take it then you have to try and get it checked or leave it behind in the car.

I've carried on my15m phantom several times and never had a problem. I simply just don't ask a bunch of questions. Just do it.............aj

when i travelled to the USA from Canada. I put my kites as carry on, but left the Lines/Handles/Bar in luguage. I told TSU that they were kites, but the lines were at the belly of the plane. I thought TSU might think the Handles/Bar could be used as a weapon.

I just got back from a trip with the Montana III (complete) and waist harness as a carry on - no problems...

However, they did ask me what it was.

Just an update: I was able to carry on my 7m with bar and lines attached with no problems - TSA did not even blink on either side of the trip. I did check TSA's website before I left however, and it says that parachutes are allowed as carry on - so my backup plan was to say it was a parachute.

Hmmm you'd think a parachute would be one of those things they wouldnt let you carry onto a plane......I guess it would be a bit obvious if you were about to do anything. Indeed I took my 3 meter with the bar on the plane with me and had no issues.

I'm not sure about carry on but I was amazed at what I got away with for a sport / ski bag over Christmas. They weighed my suitcase but let the ski bag through ? It was JAMMED full. 3 kites, helmet , snow clothes and tools. They seem to want to charge for kiteboarding while kiteskiing is O.K. ? ( I had to open it for them ) GO FIGURE ? I was nailed for a similar sized ( + lighter ) bag because it was a kiteboard bag and gear once ?

Lesson learned...... Stick a set of snow skis in you kitesurf bag next time you fly to Hawaii ! :wink2: :wink2:

You probably have better odds of living if you geared up and jumped with the kite then riding the plane for a crash landing.

I think I'd go for it if I had too.

I am picturing myself jumping out the door of a plane doing 150 mph and hoping my 5+ meter kite follows me out the door ok, doesn't bowtie, and didn't have any twists or tangles in the lines. Then all I have to do is hold onto the handles!:o

I noticed you did not pick your Pansh as your "life kite". Rather a kite a meter smaller too! I think I would jump with my Flexifoil 2.5 before my Ace 5.0! Are you thinking quality issues? I am.

I could see me jumping with my Ace- my bridle all tangled and God forbid if I was using the supplied lines would be a birdsnest. Then they would break! I would be cursing Rose [inside joke if you bought a Pansh!] all the way down "You double charged my PayPal account!!" "AHHHHH!!!".. .....SPLAT!!

I am going to the Dominician Republic in 2 weeks and am bringing my 2.5 and Teds 3.5 [still coming in the mail]. There is NO WAY I am trusting the airlines with the kites as baggage. They are coming on as carry ons. I will check in the lines bars etc. I thought the lines and ground stakes would be an issue so under the plane they go.

No, I didn't specify which kite I would use, but more how many things would cause it not to work as a rescue. The gap between your ejection speed of 150-200 mph and then needing enough kite to float you down is hard to plan for. Maybe any kite would be better than a crash landing bathed in jet fuel.

Doesn't a commercial airliner go at like 400? I know that one flight where the roof tore off peoples clothes were getting torn off, You would need to throw the kite after you slowed down, and to top it off you'd be freezing and naked. Infact you may lose a few "extremeties" You would probably have time to jump and, if you could hold onto the bag, get out the kite. Or even just take all your kites and hold onto them and slow yourself down on just air resistance like a ribbon. Or use like a 19meter flysurfer and paraglide down! :~)

I'm flying tomorrow and haven't decided if I'll pack my kite as a carry on or in my checked bag yet but I did have one thought on taking it as a carry on.

I made a mental note that if I do take it as a carry on and someone pulls out those little wrist straps that connect to the handles DO NOT call them "kite killers". I figure "wrist straps" or "wrist harness" or anything like that will work and the worst thing I could do is tell the TSA guy that I have anything "KILLERS" in my carry on bag! :evil::saint:

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Or even just take all your kites and hold onto them and slow yourself down on just air resistance like a ribbon. Or use like a 19meter flysurfer and paraglide down! :~)

Or...you could leave them all in the bag and use them to cushion your fall :frog:

Kite NH- Where are you going? Any decent flying there?

I'm going down to Naples, Florida. I've never been there before but I think there is quite a bit of kite surfing down in Southern Florida. There are several kite boarding shops over in Ft. Lauderdale and I'm looking into taking a lesson at a shop up in Ft. Meyers which is an hour north of Naples.

I think I'm just going to bring my 3m so that I can hopefully get a little flying in on the beach while my girlfriend is busy basking in UV rays.

It's amazing how short the days are on the beach now that I fly kites. I am always forced to put the kites up by some external schedule constraint like dinner, or time to drive home, instead of getting "finished" for the day.

The answer is too get one of those big golf over bags. They always fly free and are given vip service. The airlines know that your are going to #@%$#! for sure if they #@%$#! up your clubs.
The bags are out of my price range, but they will take a buggy and a couple of kites.
S

When I fly I use an army duffle bag. Very inconspicuos and by the time they check it your gone! :D And then I throw any smaller stuff (3 and NPW) in my other suitcase. Works quite well. I will keep an eye open for a golf bag at garage sales this summer. Will they hammer me with extra fees if I check my bag that says (Peter Lynn Kitesurfing and Bomba) on it? As long as it doesn't have a board? Would it be a good idea in general to ductape over the wording so it doesnt say "expensive" as it goes around the carousel? :puzzled::puzzled::puzzled::puzzled:

here in quebec, air canada and air transat will charge 100$ box for kite equipement.

so we have 2 choices:

try the golf bag

or pack the kites with clothes, and say the kiteboard is in fact a wakeboard. dont know why but then the cost is 10$ only

Why would they charge 100$ for kite equipment? Is that for a single kite or would that include a separate board and large kite bag?

That seems absurd. Now 10$ for a wakeboard on the other hand seems pretty reasonable.

I just flew and packed my kite in with my luggage. TSA went through my luggage on the return trip, but it didn't appear that they messed with the kite at all (it was zipped up in it's own bag.....didn't want sand in my undies:lol.

The golf back seems like a great idea. I saw people flying with them and you could fit a small quiver of kites into one! And they are treated very well because no one wants to bust someone's expensive clubs and get a complaint.

Another fellow I know uses a baby buggy bag. It seems to work.
There is a mock golf bag out there called the deceiver ( by NSI ? ) for this purpose.

the reason they charge the 100$ is for the board, and probably because they associate this sport with windsurfing.

sometime the rules are made by white collar who have no clue what they are doing.

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Originally posted by BeamerBob I am picturing myself jumping out the door of a plane doing 150 mph and hoping my 5+ meter kite follows me out the door ok, doesn't bowtie, and didn't have any twists or tangles in the lines. Then all I have to do is hold onto the handles!:o

already seen but could it be done from an airplane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgXx41eZg10

why not just check them in as a regular bag with clothes on top and thats it no worries. just a suggestion but i really like the golf bag idea.

aj didn't you drive to nabx last year.