Look at the difference between these films - CT scanner exposure

[koraks]

I fly a lot for work (including outside the U.S.) and almost always carry a film camera with me. I can offer a few tips based on my experiences, especially ones I've had over the last 3-4 years since CT scanners started becoming more common at airports:

Thanks for your well-thought through post and practical recommendations, which make good sense to me.

 

[Dr. no]

The best solution is to do what we can to raise awareness of photographic film and it's ability to be damaged by the new CT scanners, and thus have hand inspection of photosensitive materials standard across all civil airports in all countries.

I agree... since my main issue with hand checks has been the security personnel looking at me, and my ziplock baggie, with with eyes full of wonder, ignorance and suspicion. "Film?" "Pelicula?"
I assume the guys minding the line are not always in the same line, and most airports I go through frequently enough to notice still have both machines (CTs in whichever line was renovated most recently). For the sake of social engineering if all of us film travelers ask for hand checks every time, regardless of machine in that line, we will create awareness sooner...

And if it's more convenient, buy/process film on site, mail it home if domestic (radiography of international items is unpredictable), leave it in a vehicle you are shipping, etc.

*(I just realized that Spanish is the only language that I frequently encounter that has a different word. French, American, English, German, Romanian. Convenient, that!)

 

[Dr. no]

And for a couple of other examples of testing:

https://silvergrainclassics.com/en/2024/04/are_films_safe_airport_scanners/

https://thedarkroom.com/bringing-fi...3x-nhiI6fpHlOyDIHv-jPtLHdyAlKNSdF1h-tjqbkTqIp
They want to sell you a very nice baggie...

And here is a Kodak-branded tag to put in the baggies:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...UQFnoECB8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw06HLn5LLI4RiNMjp7vOuWw

And a nice smaller one specifically for 4x5 film boxes:
https://www.alexburkephoto.com/blog/2020/2/12/flying-with-4x5-film-hand-check-labels


I have, somewhere on one of my computers, a document with the TSA/FAR regs, but it may be a little dated. In the US, you may always request a hand check, and they must provide a compelling reason not to. They will likely swab every roll for explosives, which is not fast, however. Be there earlier...
I don't have a comprehensive list of which nations have rules that allow/prohibit this. Heathrow used to be a NEVER HAND CHECK location but I have heard they now have a bunch of new CT scanners and have been re-educated. Geneva sounds like there should be a sign over the door saying "WE RUIN FILM".
That's why we have these other threads running...
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/new-as-of-2019-airport-ct-scanners.170709/unread

 

[Arthurwg]

In the words of Bob Dylan, "I just say good luck."

 

[Businessfotos]

I’ve recently tried to emphasize on hand-checking by adding a roll of Delta 3200 to my bag of films. Flying from Frankfurt to Marokko and back I had little discussion on „you are destroying my photos“ to get them hand-checked!