Mumbles Posted March 10, 2008 Posted March 10, 2008 Intentionally bringing chemicals onto a plane, carry on or stow away, is probably not the best idea. You guys really have nothing to worry about. They don't test for black powder, or perchlorates or any of that, really no firework related things at all. They mainly test for nitrated compounds, and now recently peroxides. It may specifically be acetone peroxide, but I'm not sure. The only reasonably pyro related thing they could maybe pick up is Nitrocellulose, and even that seems quite unlikely. Obviously there are detection limits on these things. Using NC to bind your dragon eggs 3 weeks prior is not going to get you sent into the backroom with a big burly guy and a box of rubber gloves. I worked at a place where I came in contact with black powder and pyrotechnic compositions on a daily basis, and often came home completely filthy, thus coating my car. I wore clean clothes and showered, but sat in my car on the way to the airport, as well as wearing my shoes which were obviously covered with chemicals. No questions asked. I had a copy of my ATF license just in case, but no issues at all.
50AE Posted March 10, 2008 Posted March 10, 2008 Fine, I'll try to ask someone who's going by car, I think it will be the best way. I also red that some families were caught to bring fireworks in their checked-on baggage, and they were extremely fined. But how is it possible to detect fireworks, and not base chemicals ? Maybe it also depends of the size.
Mumbles Posted March 10, 2008 Posted March 10, 2008 They're likely visible on the x-ray image of the baggage. Anything with metal, or metal fueled would likely be pretty easy to pick out. Fireworks such as rockets and such have a pretty distinctive shape which makes them easy to pick out.
crazyboy25 Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Yeah but if it didn't have meal (and heres the stupid nothing about airport security in US) fuse, BP, plastic explosives, and HE's are not metallic and could be carried on your person inconspicuously and undetected by the metal detector and no one would know unless you were smelled by dogs or selected for a random screening strip search.
Mumbles Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 You have to go through more than one detector. One tests for metal, one for explosives, and none to my knowledge go for black powder. It'd be a complete waste of time and resources. It would likely take several hundred pounds to even damage a plane. The likely hood you could take enough explosives onto a plane by carrying it on your person(and I'm not talking about jean pockets), with out it being detected on your clothes or skin is so incredibly unlikely, it is considered to be a non-issue. This is assuming that you could even carry enough explosives to take down a plane.
InRainbows Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 The main threat probably isn't blowing up the plane, maybe killing the pilots or the main function board could be done with some plastic explosive(1,2 lbs?) if it had some sort of shrapnel. Also, take a metal box, make it look like a Hollywood bomb, and you're good to go. P.S. I can't imagine how creepy I sound. P.S.S. I would be extra careful depending on the material, I mean, I'm sure a nitroglycerin stain would sink in just as bad as a wine stain with some clothes. P.S.S.S. Don't go on planes with clothes that your making nitroglycerin in.
TheSidewinder Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 I think you're underestimating the power of a confined explosive inside a pressurized hull at 35, 000 feet. There's a good documentary still floating around about the terrorist attack on Pan Am 103(?) over Lockerbie. After the disaster, tests were done to see how much it took to rupture a pressurized hull, because they thought the amount used shouldn't have done that much damage. If I recall correctly, they used 8 ounces of some plastiq agent (C-4, or I think Semtex) inside luggage that was stowed many feet away from the skin and inside one of thsose large metal cargo pods. The blast ruptured the hull so badly that the nose of the plane damn near fell off, and it was just sitting there. This was the amount they estimated had taken down that beautiful Clipper and killed all those people, God rest their souls. Though they had no video of it, I'm certain they said further tests determined the job could have been done, with the bag in the same place, using only *four* ounces. Sobering.
nath0r Posted March 14, 2008 Posted March 14, 2008 Intentionally bringing chemicals onto a plane, carry on or stow away, is probably not the best idea. You guys really have nothing to worry about. They don't test for black powder, or perchlorates or any of that, really no firework related things at all. They mainly test for nitrated compounds, and now recently peroxides. It may specifically be acetone peroxide, but I'm not sure. The only reasonably pyro related thing they could maybe pick up is Nitrocellulose, and even that seems quite unlikely. Obviously there are detection limits on these things. Using NC to bind your dragon eggs 3 weeks prior is not going to get you sent into the backroom with a big burly guy and a box of rubber gloves. I worked at a place where I came in contact with black powder and pyrotechnic compositions on a daily basis, and often came home completely filthy, thus coating my car. I wore clean clothes and showered, but sat in my car on the way to the airport, as well as wearing my shoes which were obviously covered with chemicals. No questions asked. I had a copy of my ATF license just in case, but no issues at all. Well that has reasured me no-end. I was starting to get very worried about being pulled at airport security for having pyro chems on my clothing, but after reading your post feel very confident i will have no problems. Just to be sure i have banned myself from going anywhere near my workshop or coming in contact with anything pyro related untill im back from my travels in a few weeks, this is probably way to extreme but i would rather be safe than sorry.
WarezWally Posted March 15, 2008 Posted March 15, 2008 It would likely take several hundred pounds to even damage a plane. ....I think a few pounds of hot BP could easily damage a plane
oskarchem Posted March 15, 2008 Posted March 15, 2008 I, don't think it could, but anyway, theres no point of going into a debate here, we're not going to fint the awnser, unless some memeber of Boeing is going to come into the discussion.
KinneticEnergy Posted March 15, 2008 Posted March 15, 2008 I'm leaving for my grandma's wedding in a few days(She's like 73), I plan on taking a very long shower, and not touching anything in my lab during these next few days. I'm not so worried about the flight there (I'm leaving from San Diego, and arriving in Omaha Nebraska.) I'm more worried about the flight back, Because I'm not sure if I'll have clothes that didn't come in contact with fireworks.
Swede Posted April 19, 2008 Posted April 19, 2008 Guys, I work in the airline industry. PLEASE, PLEASE, do not fly with chemicals in your bags or anywhere else. I don't care about trace stuff on your clothing, but measurable quantities of Pyro material is a big-time no no. Just ship the stuff to yourself via USPS. It's not worth getting into trouble. It's especially not worth having some of it burn and fill the cabin with smoke. You will end up in jail. This is not like lighting some flash in a vacant lot and yukking it up with your pals... it is deadly serious. The feds WILL get involved.
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