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

Valerie · Mar 7, 2022

I flew out of Houston a few days ago. Asked for a hand check of film. They were very accommodating, despite it being very busy.

MarkVII88 · Mar 8, 2022

Over the last several years, I have flown with film a number of times and never had any issues. Here are some points you should keep in mind:
1. Never put any film in your checked luggage.
2. Traditional x-ray machines at security checkpoints will not damage your film (under 800 ISO) even with multiple passes.
3. Newer CT scanners being integrated at security checkpoints will damage your film with a single pass.
4. You can always ask security personnel for a hand-inspection of your film, but you may not always get one.

Flying domestically anywhere in the U.S. I have never had any problems getting my film hand-inspected by TSA staff. I pack all my film in clear ziploc bags to make it easy for security to see what's inside. I remove all 35mm film from the little cardboard boxes, but keep them in the plastic canisters. I leave the foil wrappers on my 120 film. When flying internationally, you will not always be granted a hand-inspection. Sometimes the flow of security is not set up to allow this and other times the staff will insist you put the film through the scanner. I've put film through the traditional x-ray scanners before, sometimes multiple times, without any issues. If you want to know whether the airports you're passing through use the CT scanners, you can always check the airport website, or email/call the security office prior to traveling.

ic-racer · Mar 8, 2022

Well thought out
, thank you.

gorbas · Mar 8, 2022

Im writing this at LAX airport on my way home to Vancouver, Canada.
I simply asked an TSA agent is carryon luggage checking machine “film safe”. It was not, so they did hand check by swabbing every single 35 film cassette I had. I have not seen any warnings on the scanner regarding film.
With older Xray scanners I had up to 6 passes with 100 and 400iso BW films with out any visible consequences.

Agulliver · Mar 9, 2022

I've taken the decision for the foreseeable future to fly with factory manufactured cassettes rather than hand rolled ones...as I can see the reusable plastic, unbranded, self-rolled ones causing suspicion. Something factory made, out of the box, in a transparent plastic bag should be easily inspected by the security staff.

How best to find out whether the airports one is visiting have the new CT scanners? Do US airport websites generally state this? British airport websites are very secretive about actual security arrangements and equipment used, and do not respond to questions via email.

VinceInMT · Mar 9, 2022

I have TSA-Pre so I’ve only been through the metal detector, not the full body scanner. I am always asked if I have any metal in my body. I tell them “no,” even though I do and I guess it’s small enough to not set off the alarm.

Regarding film, I remember packing my film in those lead-lined bags many years ago. Does anyone still use those? I think I still have a roll of that around here somewhere.

AgX · Mar 9, 2022

Agulliver said:
I've taken the decision for the foreseeable future to fly with factory manufactured cassettes rather than hand rolled ones...as I can see the reusable plastic, unbranded, self-rolled ones causing suspicion. Something factory made, out of the box, in a transparent plastic bag should be easily inspected by the security staff.

As far as I remember this argument is new in our safety-checks discussion. Makes sense... unless using film cassettes not from Kodak or Fuji.

The ease at opening of plastic cassettes would be a further issue.

BrianShaw · Mar 9, 2022

VinceInMT said:
Regarding film, I remember packing my film in those lead-lined bags many years ago. Does anyone still use those? I think I still have a roll of that around here somewhere.

Thos have been out-of-favor and virtually useless for decades. When TSA saw a dark mass in the carry-on x-ray, they would either pull the bag aside for secondary inspection and/or request that the film be removed and screened separately. What once was film protection became a very inconvenient thing for all. Might still be useful if one fears film degradation from cosmic rays at altitude, though. From some online reports, that isn't enough protection but it might be emotionally soothing.

Agulliver · Mar 9, 2022

VinceInMT said:
I have TSA-Pre so I’ve only been through the metal detector, not the full body scanner. I am always asked if I have any metal in my body. I tell them “no,” even though I do and I guess it’s small enough to not set off the alarm.

Regarding film, I remember packing my film in those lead-lined bags many years ago. Does anyone still use those? I think I still have a roll of that around here somewhere.

As @BrianShaw says, those lead lined bags and containers are a no-go and have been for as long as I've been aware they exist (mid 80s).

AS an aside, I have a friend who suffered a really bad car crash when she was 13 (some 25 years ago)....and who has so much metalwork in her body she carries a letter from a doctor with her any time she flies. I think she even has a whole body X-ray photo demonstrating the points where the metal is.

The advice I'd give is not to do anything which looks like you're "hiding" your film. So no stuffing things into your pockets, no lead lined containers which show up as dark, impenetrable areas on the X-ray, minimal packaging - 35mm cassettes out of the box and probably out of the plastic canister.....120 films out of the box but in their wrapper - security personnel can open the wrapper if they wish though.

I've had airport security staff in various countries balk at unusual equipment such as an EWA Marine underwater bag, a 1970s super 8 movie camera...or just taking a bag with 6 cameras on the plane. Often younger security staff aren't familiar with film photography gear, especially if it's older than the 1990s and looks very different to modern gear.

But all that said, I've never ultimately had my gear confiscated or refused on the plane, never had any film damaged....having first flown with film in 1982 and having made something like 150 commercial airline flights - all with film.

ic-racer · Mar 9, 2022

I had considered lining some reusable Ilford cassettes with cut up pieces from my leaded film bag.

bdial · Mar 10, 2022

Preface, I haven't flown for a while, and have no experience with the current machines.
But, my experience with one of those lead lined containers was that they rescanned the bag with it 7 or 8 times with long pauses with it in the machine in between.
Just letting it go through, or else asking for a hand inspection seemed like a better path, I never used the container again.

eurekaiv · Mar 10, 2022

Just flew from SoCal to Hawaii and back. No problems with my film through the scanners this time, or any time prior.

GregY · Mar 12, 2022

I flew from Calgary to Seattle return for a music festival at the end of February 2022. In Calgary, I asked if they had new scanners....they did not... so my film went through. In general i was very impressed with the security staff at SeaTac; they were both informative and polite. On my return flight, there were two lines (one with a big scanner and one small). I was directed to the line with the small (old) scanner....for my guitar to pass through. While in line, the staff member at the big scanner called out "if you are travelling with film, please use the other line. This scanner is not filmsafe."

This summer I'm flying in and out of Paris for a trip to the Alps and Dolomites. Due to the new scanners, I plan to bring a little film, and buy the bulk of 120 in Paris. On my return, I plan to stay in Paris a few days & have my film processed (haven't had any one process my film for 20+ yrs), at Atelier Publimod.

wiltw · Mar 12, 2022

GregY said:
I flew from Calgary to Seattle return for a music festival at the end of February 2022. In Calgary, I asked if they had new scanners....they did not... so my film went through. In general i was very impressed with the security staff at SeaTac; they were both informative and polite. On my return flight, there were two lines (one with a big scanner and one small). I was directed to the line with the small (old) scanner....for my guitar to pass through. While in line, the staff member at the big scanner called out "if you are travelling with film, please use the other line. This scanner is not filmsafe."

This summer I'm flying in and out of Paris for a trip to the Alps and Dolomites. Due to the new scanners, I plan to bring a little film, and buy the bulk of 120 in Paris. On my return, I plan to stay in Paris a few days & have my film processed (haven't had any one process my film for 20+ yrs), at Atelier Publimod.

It would be worthwhile data point to deliberately put one roll of film thru new CT scanner at Security, and then process that roll when back at home.
I have one 120 roll of unopened Tmax already placed inside my carry-on, to conduct such a trial when my wife and I travel to Hawaii later this month, in the event we encounter one of the CT scanners at Security.

MattKing · Mar 12, 2022

wiltw said:
I have one 120 roll of unopened Tmax already placed inside my carry-on, to conduct such a trial when my wife and I travel to Hawaii later this month, in the event we encounter one of the CT scanners at Security.

It would be worthwhile to add some fog producing light to part of the roll - essentially pre-flash some of the frames - to see if that changes the calculation.

wiltw · Mar 12, 2022

MattKing said:
It would be worthwhile to add some fog producing light to part of the roll - essentially pre-flash some of the frames - to see if that changes the calculation.

I had considered the variable of totally unexposed frames vs exposed frames and the effect of CT on both. I am thinking that maybe I alternate one unexposed frame(cap on lens) then one exposed frame and doing that for the entire roll, then putting that thru the CT scanner (if we encounter one). At worst case, if I forget to do that before we leave, I have one unexposed roll already inside, in case I am absent minded!

BrianShaw · Mar 12, 2022

wiltw said:
I had considered the variable of totally unexposed frames vs exposed frames and the effect of CT on both.

That makes more sense than pre-fogging the film. I've never heard of pre-fogging as part of any x-ray versus film test protocol. What would make the bigger difference is the speed of the film. I think I mentioned this earlier, but 400 film might be more discerning of damage. In the past, with regular x-ray, it was.

ic-racer · Mar 12, 2022

GregY said:
I flew from Calgary to Seattle return for a music festival at the end of February 2022. In Calgary, I asked if they had new scanners....they did not... so my film went through. In general i was very impressed with the security staff at SeaTac; they were both informative and polite. On my return flight, there were two lines (one with a big scanner and one small). I was directed to the line with the small (old) scanner....for my guitar to pass through. While in line, the staff member at the big scanner called out "if you are travelling with film, please use the other line. This scanner is not filmsafe."

This summer I'm flying in and out of Paris for a trip to the Alps and Dolomites. Due to the new scanners, I plan to bring a little film, and buy the bulk of 120 in Paris. On my return, I plan to stay in Paris a few days & have my film processed (haven't had any one process my film for 20+ yrs), at Atelier Publimod.

That is great to read.
Makes me want to go back to reconsider traveling with my usual HP5. Issue with using FP4 is that I have not used it for at least ten years. It is always a bad idea, in my experience, to test something new on a trip.

For example I traveled Europe in 1985 and bought a bunch of 220 Plus-X for my Yashica, having never used the 220 function of the camera before the trip. Turns out backing paper of Plus-X had a dotted line that came up before the double arrow. As you can imagine I aligned the dotted line with the 220 start mark. I did not see the big double arrow until I started to process the film and examined the paper. So I lost 2 shots per roll.

gone · Mar 12, 2022

Thank the fates that I saw this thread, since I'm planning on moving via the train from Tucson to New Orleans, spend the night there, and then take a charter bus to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The expense was pretty high, so a few days ago I had compared the train/N.O. plan to the price of flying. Flying was lots cheaper and would put me directly in Ms w/ no stopover in New Orleans.

But this reminded me of why I stopped flying in the first place. You're basically treated as a suspect at an airport, and on the train you're treated as a guest. X-rays? They don't even ask to see my I.D. to buy an online ticket or board the train! The train/N.O. plan is back on. Expensive, but should be a lot of fun.

I've never had fun at an airport. In fact, it's often the opposite, more like a B horror movie.

Sirius Glass · Mar 12, 2022

momus said:
Thank the fates that I saw this thread, since I'm planning on moving via the train from Tucson to New Orleans, spend the night there, and then take a charter bus to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The expense was pretty high, so a few days ago I had compared the train/N.O. plan to the price of flying. Flying was lots cheaper and would put me directly in Ms w/ no stopover in New Orleans.

But this reminded me of why I stopped flying in the first place. You're basically treated as a suspect at an airport, and on the train you're treated as a guest. X-rays? They don't even ask to see my I.D. to buy an online ticket or board the train! The train/N.O. plan is back on. Expensive, but should be a lot of fun.

I've never had fun at an airport. In fact, it's often the opposite, more like a B horror movie.

Would you be able to drive to New Orleans?

c41 · Mar 13, 2022

I’m all in for the romance of train travel and feel the same way as you about flying. But there was that fatal drug related shootout whilst the Amtrak was stopped in Tucson fairly recently so all modes of public transport have their shortcomings.

Great views out the window on your route whichever way you go, don’t forget your camera!

Timmyjoe · Mar 13, 2022

Last time I traveled by air and needed to bring film (2019), I contacted the motel I was staying at the first night and made an arrangement with them. I shipped them the film, brought the cameras on the plane with me. I had Dwayne's mailers with me and sent the color film off to Dwayne's from the last motel I stayed in, and shipped the B&W film (that I process at home), to my home address. Again, brought the cameras back home on the plane.

Best,
-Tim

gijsbert · Apr 3, 2022

Any more experiences flying between Montreal and Los Angeles (LAX)? From previous answers it sounds like both YUL and LAX do hand-checks, at least some times.

How many rolls to people usually fly with? I am going to do a 2 week trip to national parks in California starting next week, I'll probably shoot 2 or 3 rolls a day so I'll wind up with 30+ exposed rolls, I wonder if there is some limit for the hand-check...

Mailing them home is an option I suppose but then I'd worry about the mail getting lost!
I probably worry too much... but I did have some film fried by CT scanners and it was so disappointing to get mostly fog after I developed the film.

Bashful71 · Apr 5, 2022

I just flew from Toronto Pearson to Las Vegas and back with a clear ziplock containing 17 rolls of 120 on the way there and 16 on the way back (don't ask). I asked for hand-check both times and they accommodated me with no complaint - they were reasonably busy but not overwhelmed. I actually think the guy at Toronto pulled my backpack to one side just so he could get a look at my cameras, he was quite interested in them. FWIW, I pulled all of the rolls out of the boxes before I flew, I just had the foil-sealed rolls in the bag.

markbau · Apr 5, 2022

Just wondering but is it a fact that film that you mail internationally doesn't get x-rayed? I'm tossing up whether I should take 120 film to Italy (visiting from Australia) I'm terrified of coming across a screener who declines a request to hand search but how would I know if the film I mail home will not be x-rayed? Other option is to have it developed before I leave Europe but I really would rather develop it myself.

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

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