I went through the new inspection process at Kona, HI, on the 30th and they had all this kit in place. They didn't seem to have the process off, there were some eight screeners dealing with our five bags and falling all over themselves in the process. I think we were their first customer.
These procedures have been used by the Israelis for a long time. I can't speak for the TSA because all we were doing was returning from vacation but I have dragged unrecognizable electronic items through ElAl's screening process. It can be a lot of fun if you're not in a hurry -- you get to meet all sorts of interesting people and see bits of the airport you never knew existed. A sailplane is going to generate a lot of interest. Its got wires and batteries and electronic things that will generate a nice looking picture on their machines. If you're lucky the screening will happen in the passenger area and you'll get to open the case and show the people that this is just a toy plane. You definitely don't want them searching the package. The screeners want to see things like this "work", which in screener-ese means "something light up when you turn it on". (Just make sure it isn't a countdown timer.........) There was a movie -- "The Siege" -- on TV at the weekend. It was made in 1999. Its worth seeing again to see just how far we've fallen in so short a time. Martin Usher RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off.
