Airlines have a funny way of adding to the stress in my life. While I enjoy the fact I can get from one end of this country to the other in a matter of hours I sweat bullets every time I hand over my Pelican case to a baggage handler.
Many of us have experienced looking out the airplane window only to see a baggage handler throwing equipment on to the conveyor belt or stacking 500 pounds of suitcases on top of a musical instrument. Even with solid, hard-shell cases it's rather frustrating.
Anytime I do gigs outside of my home town I weigh out the cost and benefits of flying versus driving. How long is the gig, what gear do I need, will I need my own transportation at the destination, etc. When I drive to the gig I have far more flexibility with how much gear I take. However, when I fly, I slim down the audio kit to just the essentials for that particular job.
My basic audio kit and accessories fit inside a Pelican 1650 case. The case is fantastic for convenience and protection of the gear, however, it's beastly heavy. An empty Pelican 1650 case weighs in around 35 pounds leaving me a whopping 15 pounds of content before airlines start charging over weight fees. I'm cheap; I don't like paying those fees. So, my solution is to pack key pieces of audio gear in my carry on and leave the bullet proof, hard sided, nuclear resistant Pelican case to safely transport my sox. Upon arrival at my destination (assuming my gear and I are in the same city on the same day) the contents are swapped.
I typically put my Sound Devices 442 field mixer, Sound Devices 744t recorder, a few channels of wireless units, my Sanken shotgun mic, and perhaps some cables in my carry on. It keeps the gear safely in my possession and saves me those over weight fees. It also provides for an interesting time going through security.
On a recent trip to Charlotte, NC for a TV show I put the mixer, recorder, and 6 channels of wireless in my carry on. The TSA agent nearly had a heart attack when she saw all of the transmitters, receivers, switches, knobs, antennas, and wires. I believe her words were "Whoa! Hold on there buddy! What is all of this stuff? I'm gonna have to hand search your bag." I wasn't surprised and I always plan extra time going through security because I recognize that I'm not traveling with the standard souvenirs, dirty laundry, and illegal, highly dangerous 6oz tube of toothpaste.
So, moral of the story: pack expensive, not-easily-replaced gear in your carry on and allow extra time for security. It also helps to not be cranky when receiving your extra thorough strip search at the airport.
