Traveling with a drone...
Just could not disagree more with John Locke. I travel frequently with my
P4P in a hard case. I always check it; carry all 5 batteries with me on the plane (if there are restrictions on the number of batteries I have not seen that in print on the airlines I fly on) and you NEVER tell anyone connected to the airline that you have batteries in your carry-on...never! It is not a safety issue and there are no FAA restrictions on the number...only the wattage. My hard case, from OGPC, is terrific! More space than in the backpack and far more protection and customization capability. Putting ones drone in the overhead on a full airplane when you are in Boarding Group 4 is iffy at best. Other pax jam bags in the overhead and, if the cabin crew decides that the overhead is full you are required to check your
backpack. A soft case in the baggage hold with a hundred hard suitcases? Not just NO....but, really, really NO. My hard case has wheels, handles , an extensionable pull handle and is tough enough for anything.
I use TSA approved locks on the case just to keep the honest people honest. I also leave an inventory list inside the case where TSA thieves
will see it. My case has never been opened. I put a special tape on the case so if the bag is jiggled/pryed, the tape distorts and attempted theft or opening is obvious to all.
Another benefit to a hard case is customizing the interior foam with an X-acto blade for other than standard parts. I can carry considerably more in my hard case, more securely, in my hard case than I can in the backpack it came with.
Sometimes TSA looks into my carry-on at the batteries...sometimes they don’t. I travel to DCA, SAN, IAD, IAH, DEN, DFW, DAL, BOS, MCO, ORD, IND, BWI and others. Never a problem! Most TSA folks are very interested in drones!
As far as protecting against shorts...much ado about nothing. A piece of
black electrical tape across the contacts will do it. Wrap them all in micro-fiber cloths for some minor cushioning and press on.
As far as the case being lost...in the old days lost bags amounted to about 5-7% of all checked bags. Now, computerized tracking and much better handling procedures make permanently losing a bag unlikely. If you check your own bags you get the bag tag yourself and can check it for accuracy to your destination.
Hard cases, check them, carry your batteries in your carry-on and relax!
Jetjockey6
