Thanks for that Alden. I'm sure that, in the present climate, we are all grateful for that information especially as you are speaking from a position of authority and knowledge. I'm sure we are all off to buy one as soon as possible as this situation could be here for a while or could be repeated in the future. I have saved this mail in my "do not delete" folder for future reference should the need arise. Thanks again, Colin Hill ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 3:35 AM Subject: Re: [HG] Flying NOW
> > 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 > > > >
