Eric...
Your
wife and Dave are correct. If you want to fly, you will have to transfer,
and you will not be able to do so from your own chair. As Dave said, the
airlines call the chair a straightback, which is literally a Dolly (a.k.a. hand
truck) with a small seat, no arm rests, and two fairly insecure straps to help
hold you in place. Typically, 2 baggage handlers (I am not kidding)
transfer you from your chair to their straightback chair either in the terminal
area or just outside the entrance to the plane. Be prepared to know and
explain how you want to be transferred or you will be simply moved like a corpse
or large sack of potatoes from your chair to the straightback, and ultimately to
your seat on the plane. The process is reversed when you arrive at your
destination. You will be the first person to board the plane, and the last
person to get off.
If you
will be on a long flight, bring your cushion onboard with you. Another
consideration for long flights is your bladder management. You may need to
severely limit your intake prior to the flight or ensure your drainage bag has
sufficient space. I have heard of a number of air travelers who cath under
a blanket while others use a Foley or external catheter.
You
may wish to consider putting any removable parts on your chair i.e. arm rests,
leg rests, etc into a separate bag so they will not be improperly handled by the
baggage handlers. I also label parts of my chair like my head control and
trunk supports with yellow stickers that say "DO NOT TOUCH" hopefully
reducing the chance of improper handling.
If
your chair uses batteries and they are not gel batteries, they will
have to be removed from your chair and placed in a separate container. The
airline will usually assist with this if needed.
Some
airlines will allow your spouse or designated companion oversee the loading of
your wheelchair into the cargo section of the plane so they can advise on proper
hand holds and taking the chair in and out of gear. Some allow this on the
other end as well.
Make
your arrangements well in advance and call the airline/airport terminal the day
before at least to let them know to expect you and the type of chair and
assistance you will be needing.
My
experiences flying as a quad have been fairly positive. The airline staff
from top to bottom could not be more patient, kind or considerate. If you
become overly nervous, just keep reminding yourself that you are not the first
and will not be the last quad to fly. I even know of several vent
dependent quads who fly.
I will
be flying from Atlanta to Los Angeles round trip in October.
I hope
this helps...
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric W Rudd [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2004 7:17 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [QUAD-L] FlyingI'm looking for info on flying. My wife said on airline's website it said I'd have to transfer; that'd be a pain. Any and all info is appreciated. Thanx.Eric W Rudd[EMAIL PROTECTED]
