Thread: Aviation security retards ?!

Originally Posted by madjon_

Back a few years,I had been tahr bothering in late November.I flew to Oz from Wellies,got the van and cruiser out of storage.was looking through my belt kit(which had been rolled in the corner of my checked baggage)and found a plastic norma clip with 5 live 7rem mag rounds.
So outbound wellington,inbound melbourne not found.
With no Aust.fal just having these I was an instant criminal.

Had a whole pocket full of 22 ammo get missed by both our and Aus security once. About a week after that young kiwi fella got imprisoned for having a single 22 bullet buried in his backpack while in Europe.
Wasnt game to try and bring it back tho.

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Originally Posted by chainsaw

No further replies from AvSec, which seriously pisses me off as there are serious errors & flaws on their part.
But the good news - Air NZ confirm they have the empty brass in hand and will arrange to courier it back to me. Fingers crossed that does not get fucked up

@chainsaw that’s good news

Originally Posted by kiwi-adam

Im F**ked then, I am flying into Chch from Auckland with Rifle and Ammo on the 16th of this month.

I have already called Air NZ on Tues 19th March (Yes 4 days after) and declared the above. She was all good, even suggested some places she had Hiked and seen plenty of Deer that I should look into.
I even called Christchurch Police Station on Lichfield Street, as I will be waiting for a bus 2 blocks down with a Firearm in a locked case, and wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to get in the s**t.

All I want to do is leave Auckland with no delays, get in and out of Chch with no issues, and be on my way to the Lake Tekapo region so I can go Hunting!

You should be fine, I think the avsec pricks like to show how important they are.

Continuing on, brought rifle and ammo/brass back yesterday on the airline from Q'town to AKL, everything worked fine, was a good experience apart from the avsec person barking at me in AKL "what is your destination?" Felt like I scored points there by scowling at her and in her words "being Grumpy".
Got over my paranoia about hauling my "firearm" through airports, no hard core lefty, greeny, rent-a-mob, gun haters swooned and fell on the floor and beseeched me not to shoot them.
So happy now to carry on the airline.
Also first test flight of the new suppressor, worked great, just got to figure how to clean it if at all.

Originally Posted by R93

Had a whole pocket full of 22 ammo get missed by both our and Aus security once. About a week after that young kiwi fella got imprisoned for having a single 22 bullet buried in his backpack while in Europe.
Wasnt game to try and bring it back tho.

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This should make you laugh then @R93
In my pack all the way from the uk

Originally Posted by Sideshow

This should make you laugh then @R93
In my pack all the way from the uk
Attachment 108879

That looks fired? Not scary enough

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You should be able to find the regs online somewhere. Print them out and take them with you so you can educate them if necessary.

Just went Whangarei to Queenstown and back via Auckland, 2 off us with 3 rifles, ammo, knife, plb etc.

Only problem was they had too pull my son's first aid kit out and measure the size of the scissors.

Queenstown was good, coming back. Oversize baggage guy's directed us to the Air NZ customer service counter who checked us in and then told the oversize guys we where coming. Asked me how the trip went, real helpful and good. Then as we walked back they sent someone to catch us before we dropped out bags off to check that we had less than 5kg of ammo.
Z

Might have to give away brass souvenirs to all the kids boarding planes this weekend.

I've travelled reasonably extensively between NZ, the US & Aus for competitive shooting.
Whichever airline is used, it's always wise to check their DG policy, which usually requires that you make a specific request to them for carriage of the ammo, to which they will reply (hopefully, an authority) and you print that and present it at check-in. At check-in, the baggage is usually tagged with some indication that the ammo carriage has been approved. Don't lose that letter of approval!
All of my ammo is target quality reloads for which the ubiquitous MTM boxes are used. Never been a problem.

WRT the US, I've never had a problem there either. H.S. guys will look at what you're bringing in and that it is in accordance with the previously approved entry paperwork. They then leave a declaration inside the rifle case so that in the event of it being opened somewhere else in the transit route, but not in your presence, it can be seen as "approved". Oddly, it only seems to be the firearms that get close scrutiny - they don't seem to care about the ammo. Yes, it's endless paperwork, but when it's done, progress is much less painful.
Only struck trouble once, in Adelaide, when, despite prior approvals, an obnoxious Border Force person took offence at a MTM box which contained 100x select, cast, muzzle loading projectiles. Pure lead only - they could just as easily been sinkers. Carried the box (scary to watch match projectiles treated like that) like a skunk had just farted in her face. Wanted some other person to decide if it was OK for me to have them. Never mind that there was no BP propellant anywhere near.
Guess what I'm saying is, if you've got all your ducks lined up, it's all good. Just that some of "them" have bad days

Soo my overall experience Auck to Chch and Chch to Auck was not too bad. (First time travelling with a Firearm)

Arrived at Auckland Airport nice and early to make sure I had all my ducks line up.
Made it to Rebecca at the Oversize luggage check in, to find should was less than enthused about a firearm...
She asked if we had checked the FA in yet, to which we responded no. She then told us to go check in.
Once checked in we returned to Rebecca, who then asked who checked us in, the answer was no one, we did it on the self check-in. She then told us to go see a person standing at a desk across from the oversize luggage check-in counter.
We waiting 15mins for the person behind the counter to finish up on something before she could help us, only to be told, I am new, I can't do this, you need to go down there (pointing to special assistance), a single desk with a large line of predominantly Asian and Elderly, who were having trouble with self-check in.
Waiting in this line I started to get a little stressed, as time was starting to run tight. Almost at the front, and an elderly person in a wheelchair barged in front of us, I bit my tongue... pick your battles.
Made it to the front, now only 25mins left until departure. This women was very helpful, did her thing and directed us back down to Rebecca at oversize luggage.
Rebecca again, spots the rifle case and grunts. I have to call security she said, and I cannot check any of your other luggage in here.
Time is almost out now, I ask the wife to head down with the other bags to check them in, while I head into the security office.
My experience with them was great (They were very gentle on me), just the usual, why are you heading to Chch, how long are you there for etc.
Wife knocks on office door, she is upset, we have now been told, we are too late to get luggage on the plane. We have missed our flight.
Now Rebecca is more talkative than before. You should have got here earlier, its school holidays, you should have known better, not my problem, you have missed your flight, perhaps you shouldn't be travelling with a firearm. Thank you Rebecca, you have been very helpful!
She then proceeded to argue with Av Sec who regardless of our predicament, still wanted to see an x-ray of the FA case.

Now, heading back down to Special Assistance, the lady behind the counter was very surprised to see us again. We explained what had happened, she booked us on a new flight (5hrs later) gave us some food vouchers, gave us front of the plane seats and then she walked us back to Oversize luggage, where Rebecca was now absent (spotted her across the room getting an earful). She checked all our luggage in here, and wished us well.
I think Rebecca may have been anti-firearm...
Made it to Chch and had a great time, lessons learnt.

Arrived back at Chch airport even earlier so as to do our best to avoid delays.
Went straight to special assistance, they checked us in, walked us to premium check-in, ripped up our boarding pass, asked premium to give us front of the plane seats.
Was done in about 15mins.

Would I travel with a FA again? Absolutely.
Lessons learned:
1. Arrive over an hour and a half early when departing Auckland Airport (If Rebecca is working at Oversize Baggage)
2. The staff at Christchurch are awesome and efficient.

@no1_49er do you have any links emails that guys here can use in reference to what you have just talked about? Thanks

Originally Posted by Sideshow

@no1_49er do you have any links emails that guys here can use in reference to what you have just talked about? Thanks

Qantas Dangerous Goods | Qantas

Virgin https://www.virginaustralia.com/us/e...ngerous-goods/

AirNZ https://www.airnewzealand.com/dangerous-goods#firearms

Doesnt really matter which airline, just search their Dangerous Goods section.

And to add to No1_49er if local you could just print of AVSEC instructions as well.

https://www.avsec.govt.nz/travellers...icted-weapons/
Basically say it's ok with them if you have the appropriate license and the airline is happy to carry it.
Same for ammo under 5kg.

NB novelty ammo, look alike usb sticks etc are all banned.
Z

Yeah, nah... the Air NZ info in next to useless, other than to advise you that you need to contact them and advise them you intend carrying firearm/s and ammunition. Try getting a meaningful answer as to what constitutes acceptable packaging for ammo. I been thru this b..s...t many times, more different answers than you’ve had hot dinners. And 9 times out of 10 the person you’re talking to does not have a clue and/or zero training to even understand the questions let alone answer them. All they need to do is provide some photos of acceptable packaging that meets 1.4S (UN0012 or 0014) and also examples of what is not acceptable.
I have asked both AirNZ and AvSec to provide this but so far ZERO response.