The number of travelers from Estonia has grown tenfold in recent years, and many are trying to take various useful or interesting gadgets or necessary equipment with them on the road. Quite often, quadrocopters have begun to appear among the items of luggage lately. But due to the fact that this is a rather specific type of apparatus, tourists, especially beginners, often have questions about how these machines can be transported on an airplane and whether it is possible at all. The question is not idle, since in recent years international and national aviation organizations have begun to tighten the rules for carrying various baggage and hand luggage. When planning a trip, you need to follow a few rules.
First find out if you will be allowed to enter the country of arrival with a copter
Before learning about the rules for transporting quadcopters on an airplane, any tourist should find out how the country of entry generally regulates the import of drones from abroad and whether they can be used at all. In some countries, such “toys” are prohibited. In the best case, the drone will be confiscated from you for a while, and will be returned upon departure, as, for example, in Vietnam. In some countries, it is not allowed to use drones brought from abroad. But bought on the spot – no problem. Ask the consulate of the country where you intend to fly, what are the rules for private UAVs.
Find out the baggage check rules at the airports you plan to fly through
Many inexperienced users believe that it is the airline that allows or prohibits taking something on board as baggage or hand luggage. In fact, the airline’s rules only prescribe the volumes of both, as well as the rules for carrying baggage in the cabin. Thus, it is not at all necessary to find out in each airline you are interested in whether it is possible to take a quadcopter with you.
As for the list of things that you plan to take with you, the airport inspection service is responsible for their admission on board. We can immediately say that the safety rules allow the transportation of quadrocopters. Moreover, you can choose how you will transport the drone: in checked baggage or carry-on baggage. However, many in this case, another problem awaits.
Learn about the rules for transporting quadcopter batteries
Quadcopter engines are known to run on batteries. Therefore, the main problem when transporting a drone, if, of course, the law allows it to be imported into a particular country, is not the machine itself, but the batteries necessary for its operation – lithium batteries. In recent years, international and national aviation authorities have tightened regulations for the transport of such batteries. At Estonian and foreign airports, approximately the same rules apply in this regard, since they are based on IATA requirements. Separate unpleasant cases and incidents faced by tourists remain on the conscience of specific persons of a particular country. If you did not break the law, then you have no right to take away such batteries from you.
What are the basic rules for transporting lithium batteries to your aircraft? First, they cannot be transported separately in checked baggage. It is often recommended to install batteries inside the equipment, then the inspectors will not have unnecessary questions for you. At the same time, each battery inside the UAV should not be more powerful than 100 Wh. Some models, such as the Phantom 4, have a lower power output – 81.3 Wh, which even makes it easier to solve the problem.
Practice shows that some passengers take their copter into the aircraft cabin as hand luggage, while others put it in luggage, removing only the most valuable and fragile from the drone. If you decide to take the quadcopter with you, then first consider how much hand luggage you will have on the flight, and also read the rules of the airline. Size and weight requirements for allowed carry-on baggage may vary from airline to airline. In addition, the rules for carrying hand luggage in economy and business class are different.
The question remains about spare batteries. If you need them, then you will have to take them with you to the cabin as part of your hand luggage. Lithium batteries cannot be carried as checked baggage. However, you need to remember that airlines restrict the transportation of batteries whose power exceeds 100 Wh. If you have just such batteries, then you can take them only with the permission of the airline. Also, if you do carry spare batteries with you, make sure you pack them properly. The packaging rules for lithium batteries can be found on the website of any airline or even airport.
And never take old or damaged batteries with you. You will simply not be allowed on board with them.
