USA Air Travel With Film...What is your recent (early 2022 ->) experience?

ic-racer · Mar 6, 2022

With COVID easing a little, vacation restrictions where I work are relaxed so I'm anticipating a travel vacation this summer.
This would involve air travel with film. Having not been on a plane in over ten years, I wonder how one gets the film and camera to one's destination?

I was thinking to use the plastic cassettes and just keep the film (maybe 6 rolls ) in my pockets and send the camera through the x-ray.
Not sure the format either. Minox 35 exposure is not that much smaller than 35mm and the camera might raise more suspicion on the x-ray screen.

I'm curious how others have adapted.

I will mention ten years ago I sent the camera and all the film through the x-ray machine and nothing bad happened, though, in spite of my Disney T-shirt and my kid's mouse-ear head wear, I was attacked at the airport by police for trying to take a picture of the airport sculpture while we were waiting for our ride.
(photo from the internet, I did not get one)

BAC1967 · Mar 6, 2022

They won’t allow you to have anything in your pockets. I would take slow films, under 400 ISO. You can ask for a hand inspection or just send them through the X-Ray. I fly a lot for work and always bring film with me and I almost always just send it through the X-Ray. I rarely shoot anything over 100 ISO.

also, after you shoot the film, if you don’t do your own development, send it off to a lab in a mailer for processing.

destroya · Mar 6, 2022

you can ask for a hand inspection and in the US airports they are required to give it to you. outside the US, every airport is different. just put all your film in a clear ziplock and have it out in your hand and say you want this hand inspected. the rest of you stuff on the belt ready to go thru the scanner

john

BrianShaw · Mar 6, 2022

Use your common sense. TSA has seen all of the tricks before, but usually from smugglers rather than photographers. Even if the intention is good the consequences of getting caught might not be so good. If your airport uses millimeterwave full-body scanning there’s no way. That machine can see if a guy is cut or not…

A decade ago was the height of paranoia. Things have calmed down for the most part regarding public photography.

mgb74 · Mar 6, 2022

destroya said:
you can ask for a hand inspection and in the US airports they are required to give it to you. outside the US, every airport is different. just put all your film in a clear ziplock and have it out in your hand and say you want this hand inspected. the rest of you stuff on the belt ready to go thru the scanner

john

If you do this, they will likely swab for chemicals. So allow yourself a bit more time to get through security (5-10 min). The concern I have for scanners is that what might have worked a year ago may not work now. Or what works in one airport may not work in another.

Also consider mailing film to your hotel or to a USPS post office (i.e. "Hold for Pickup", name, city, state, zip). Smaller POs might be better than large city POs.

BrianShaw · Mar 6, 2022

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/film

Note the word “ask”. While TSA seems generally sympathetic and cooperative, they are not “required” to do hand checks. It is well worth trying to schedule going through TSA screening when there isn’t a crowd. High workload situations seems to stifle their ability to comply with special requests.

131802 · Mar 6, 2022

I've requested and received hand inspection of my film at SeaTac, Pdx, LAx, Las Vegas, Anchorage, ONT, Boston, Newark, and SLC over the last five years or so. My experience with TSA is that they'll accommodate you if they can. I've been lucky that I've not flown with film when TSA is super busy and the lines are long.

MattKing · Mar 6, 2022

Date added to thread title - for when this thread comes up in searches in later years.

mrosenlof · Mar 6, 2022

I've taken two flying trips so far in 2022. US Domestic only. I only care about the CT scanners, I don't worry about the older single exposure models. When I ask what kind of scanner, I have been offered a hand inspection. Even with 4x5 film in boxes, the boxes were swabbed and cleared without any talk of opening them. This is in the TSA Pre check lines. That might make a difference.

pentaxuser · Mar 6, 2022

I am puzzled. We had a very long thread on the new scanners in airports that are either in situ or shortly will be and these based on both on Kodak's and Ilford conclusions were that they all seriously damaged all film. At that time the U.S. had the advantage over the rest of the world in that hand inspections, if requested, were a flyer's right or so I thought.

No mention of the new and "lethal" scanners in this thread or what I thought was established, the flyer's right to hand inspections

What has changed or did I simply get the info about the new and lethal scanners and flyer's right to a hand inspection wrong?

pentaxuser

BrianShaw · Mar 6, 2022

pentaxuser said:
I am puzzled. We had a very long thread on the new scanners in airports that are either in situ or shortly will be and these based on both on Kodak's and Ilford conclusions were that they all seriously damaged all film. At that time the U.S. had the advantage over the rest of the world in that hand inspections, if requested, were a flyer's right or so I thought.

No mention of the new and "lethal" scanners in this thread or what I thought was established, the flyer's right to hand inspections

What has changed or did I simply get the info about the new and lethal scanners and flyer's right to a hand inspection wrong?

pentaxuser

Yes, there was a thread in the past on CT scanners. It seems to have initially focused on the EU implementation and went on and on and on from there. It's probably way to long to be useful.

Regarding US TSA, a lot of people think that hand inspection is an inalienable American human right. It is not. The TSA site basically says you can ask. That's as far as the "flyer's right" goes. TSA will comply at their desire and ability. Generally they are quite accommodating. But I've been told that workload is too high and they were understaffed... once or twice out of hundreds of flights over the past decade. None in the past 2 years so can't speak to the most recent other than what folks report in these threads. TSA guidance online (their own, not reports of what people think they say) makes it perfectly clear that there are no guarantees and their procedures change based on security posture etc, etc.

BTW, few seem to recall the days before TSA... when gate security was done by private contractors hired by the airlines. There was little consistency then and very little courtesy. While TSA went through a learning curve, they seem to have come to grips with the fact that they serve the public, work toward being courteous, and make an unpleasant experience as pleasant as possible with the new tools they are given. The fact remains, they are low paid and not all scholars so one can't expect too much more from than than one expects from a clerk at a fast food restaurant.

So answering your question, I don't think anything has changed and you may have had a slightly inaccurate impression. Following these threads... It's easy to happen so not your fault.

Regarding CT... there seem to be some conflicting initial input from folks lately. I, personally, when seeing a CT will be asking for a hand inspection and hoping that they comply. If they don't/can't I'll probably trash the film and take pictures with my iPhone.

ic-racer · Mar 6, 2022

MattKing said:
Date added to thread title - for when this thread comes up in searches in later years.

Thank you.

ic-racer · Mar 6, 2022

So they can tell if you have a few Minox cassettes in your pocket?

I like the idea of slower film (I usually use HP5) and just sending it through the scanner with the rest of my carryon stuff.

Sirius Glass · Mar 6, 2022

BrianShaw said:
Yes, there was a thread in the past on CT scanners. It seems to have initially focused on the EU implementation and went on and on and on from there. It's probably way to long to be useful.

Regarding US TSA, a lot of people think that hand inspection is an inalienable American human right. It is not. The TSA site basically says you can ask. That's as far as the "flyer's right" goes. TSA will comply at their desire and ability. Generally they are quite accommodating. But I've been told that workload is too high and they were understaffed... once or twice out of hundreds of flights over the past decade. None in the past 2 years so can't speak to the most recent other than what folks report in these threads. TSA guidance online (their own, not reports of what people think they say) makes it perfectly clear that there are no guarantees and their procedures change based on security posture etc, etc.

BTW, few seem to recall the days before TSA... when gate security was done by private contractors hired by the airlines. There was little consistency then and very little courtesy. While TSA went through a learning curve, they seem to have come to grips with the fact that they serve the public, work toward being courteous, and make an unpleasant experience as pleasant as possible with the new tools they are given. The fact remains, they are low paid and not all scholars so one can't expect too much more from than than one expects from a clerk at a fast food restaurant.

So answering your question, I don't think anything has changed and you may have had a slightly inaccurate impression. Following these threads... It's easy to happen so not your fault.

Regarding CT... there seem to be some conflicting initial input from folks lately. I, personally, when seeing a CT will be asking for a hand inspection and hoping that they comply. If they don't/can't I'll probably trash the film and take pictures with my iPhone.

Therefore since we can ask for and almost always get hand inspections in the US, I am not as concerned so much in the US. My concerns are travel outside the US.

Paul Howell · Mar 6, 2022

If traveling to a large metro area with well stocked camera shop, take a few rolls ask for hand inspection, then buy film when you arrive, mail exposed rolls back to your home address.

BrianShaw · Mar 6, 2022

ic-racer said:
So they can tell if you have a few Minox cassettes in your pocket?

I like the idea of slower film (I usually use HP5) and just sending it through the scanner with the rest of my carryon stuff.

Depends on which machine. Try it and let us know. Or ask James; I’m sure 007 traveled with them.

pentaxuser · Mar 6, 2022

Thanks Brian. Maybe I needed to pay more attention to that previous thread but you are right I had not realised that a hand inspection even if you are courteous and arrive with plenty of time to spare is not in fact a right. Nor did I realise that there was any doubt about how damaging the new CT scanners are for all films

pentaxuser

BrianShaw · Mar 6, 2022

pentaxuser said:
Thanks Brian. Maybe I needed to pay more attention to that previous thread but you are right I had not realised that a hand inspection even if you are courteous and arrive with plenty of time to spare is not in fact a right. Nor did I realise that there was any doubt about how damaging the new CT scanners are for all films

pentaxuser

The CT is perplexing if one reads photo forums. The industry says they will cause damage. I believe that. On a thread here or elsewhere someone posted damage but it didn’t have CT characteristics. On a thread here or elsewhere someone posted that they tested a roll through a CT with no signs of damage.

Sirius Glass · Mar 6, 2022

Paul Howell said:
If traveling to a large metro area with well stocked camera shop, take a few rolls ask for hand inspection, then buy film when you arrive, mail exposed rolls back to your home address.

That assumes the film you want, in the quantity you want, is fresh at any random place you go. How will you know? By making intercontinental calls to every camera stores across the ocean?

wiltw · Mar 6, 2022

X-ray at Security has always been safe for multiple passes, when film is < ISO 1600, but now CT scanners are being put into many airports and used for Security (not merely used for checked baggage)/ And CT scanners are likely to damage film.
We have incidental reports of "my carryon went thru CT and film came out OK", but we do not know if full 3-D CT is used for all bags, or if CT is only used (for speed of thruput) on bags with something suspicious as identified with lower dose X-ray preliminary image. My wife and I are travelling to Hawaii later this month, and I put an unexposed roll of Tmax 100 into my carryon in the hopes that we encounter a CT scanner at Security...it is definitely going thru CT if we encounter one!

Paul Howell · Mar 6, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
That assumes the film you want, in the quantity you want, is fresh at any random place you go. How will you know? By making intercontinental calls to every camera stores across the ocean?

OP did state if he/she was traveling inside the U.S or abroad, and that's why the great sprit invented the internet, email, Facebook and web sites to check what is available. Last time in Paris and the UK I had no trouble buying Tmax 400, Kodacolor and Porta. I would now just mail or have Fedx back home.

reddesert · Mar 6, 2022

ic-racer said:
So they can tell if you have a few Minox cassettes in your pocket?

I like the idea of slower film (I usually use HP5) and just sending it through the scanner with the rest of my carryon stuff.

If you go through one of the millimeter-wave scanners (the kind where you stand sideways and raise your hands above your head), it will detect a pocket zipper, a key, an extra piece of paper. These are at all major US airports I've seen in the last few years. Don't even think about carrying film in your pockets any more.

Just bring a clear plastic bag to hold your film cans. If they don't have a CT scanner, at ISO 400 or less you can put it though the x-ray for carry on bags. If they do have a CT scanner (which are much newer looking), hand TSA the bag, say it's film, and ask for hand inspection. I only did this once in the US in the last few years, but there was no problem.

Sirius Glass · Mar 6, 2022

reddesert said:
If you go through one of the millimeter-wave scanners (the kind where you stand sideways and raise your hands above your head), it will detect a pocket zipper, a key, an extra piece of paper. These are at all major US airports I've seen in the last few years. Don't even think about carrying film in your pockets any more.

Just bring a clear plastic bag to hold your film cans. If they don't have a CT scanner, at ISO 400 or less you can put it though the x-ray for carry on bags. If they do have a CT scanner (which are much newer looking), hand TSA the bag, say it's film, and ask for hand inspection. I only did this once in the US in the last few years, but there was no problem.

They will also detect a tissue new or used in your pocket. I know I accidentally have done that with each.

BrianShaw · Mar 6, 2022

Wiltw said:
...Hawaii
vacation
Luck boy!

Would you consider 400 film instead? Would be a slightly more discriminating experiment.

Sirius Glass · Mar 6, 2022

BrianShaw said:
Would you consider 400 film instead? Would be a slightly more discriminating experiment.

I use ISO 400 film for traveling all the time: France, Hawaii, Italy, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, ...

USA Air Travel With Film...What is your recent (early 2022 ->) experience?

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