Colin said: > Do I take it from the few replies that were sent, that nobody ever takes > their HG other than in the cabin?
That's pretty much it - we have (had) a webpage dedicated to the principle of keeping your vielle with you at all times. Obviously this is no longer possible. I've updated the page (www.hurdygurdy.com/info/flying.htm). To save you all the trouble of surfing out there to find it, here's the added text: The extraordinary security measures put in place in August of 2006 have made much of the document that follows obsolete, at least for the moment. If they won't let us have a paperback book, they certainly won't let us have a hurdy-gurdy. Professional symphony musicians have been subjected to the same restrictions, and forced to tour by train and bus instead of by airplane even though they have purchased seats for their instruments. At this point our best recommendation is to buy a flight case or the equivalent. They are bulky, to be sure, but they're the only thing that will get the job done. Don't even think of checking your gurdy at the gate (if they will even let you get it that far, which is doubtful), unless you want to arrive at your destination with some of the world's most expensive firewood. An easy and relatively inexpensive solution to the flight case problem are Pelican cases, manufactured for professional camera equipment. They are still bulky, but they are relatively lightweight. They have built-in wheels and a retractable handle. Model 1650 is large enough for most hurdy-gurdies, while the Model 1660 holds a Jenzat-style luteback. Be sure to get the "Pick-n-Pluck" foam inserts which allow you to easily carve out a cavity for your instrument (and some little holes for the other stuff - rosin, the crank, etc. These cases are available at a lot of places, but the best prices we've found so far are at B&H Photo (www.bhphotovideo.com). At the same source you can get the Pelican 1506 TSA lock. There is one caveat to this suggestion: while these cases are very, very tough, as far as we can discover they are not ATA approved. My bet is that Pelican cases are at least as tough as ATA-approved flight cases, but without the actual certification you are relying on the armor of the case to protect your instrument, and there could be some trouble with the insurance company should the case encounter something it can't deal with, such as a forklift. With that said, when we travel we'll be flying with Pelicans. Careful flying! Alden
