Flying with a chainsaw

[Aaron Gregg]

I've started juggling a chainsaw in my show and am hoping to take it with me to a few festivals this summer. I'm wondering if people have had problems taking one on a plane.

I intend to drain all the fuel and then run it dry (I've also heard about burning away fumes in the gas tank with a lighter). Any other things I can do?

Thanks,

-Aaron

[scot]

Yes. I think the Passing Zone was fined $21,000 for having empty chainsaws in luggage.

[dave walbridge]

Bad idea

(I've also heard about burning away fumes in the gas tank with a lighter).

Um, no. Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea.

Never "burn-off" excess anything. Gasoline is explosive.

Don't do this.

BAD.

[MarcusM]

Your best bet is to use battery operated chainsaws, you wont have any trouble with them.

[Frisbee]

chainsaws

battery operated may be a way to look into this...

I have been told that gas powered chainsaws are a combustible engine and no matter if you get every drop of fuel out...even if it was brand new and in a box never touched by human hands, it would still be banned because you can not bring anything that is a working engine on a plane.


My understanding was that passing zone got fined because they actually had a fuel container that they forgot to take out of their case.

[Aaron Gregg]

Thanks for the input. Dave, I appreciate how I might appear naive enough to go around lighting gasoline in sealed containers but this advice was given to me by a chainsaw veteran and I was hoping to have it corroborated.

The electric chainsaws lack the noise, smoke, and appearance of a gas chainsaw and wouldn't get much more reaction than an electric knife. I'm not married to my chainsaw but would like to travel with it.

I know there are a couple of people who post here who fly with gas chainsaws (Dan and Sean) and there definitely are more out there.

The good news is I won't be traveling through the states and I'm pretty sure Transport Canada doesn't give $21,000 fines to forgetful individuals on a regular basis. Thanks for the story.

-Aaron

[scot]

maybe you should look into postage/fedex

[Barry]

hi aaron,
i live in germany and have an address you could post it to. also contacts all around belgium, germany, holland, switz and denmark. if any of these loctions are convenient for you to post your saw to email me privately at info@barrygould.com. i am assuming you juggle a modified saw and dont want to go through the trouble of buying one here and then making it right.
did i see your name for the rotterdam fest this year? great party...if i can help in some way or another let me know...cheers, b

[stickman]

The airlines lost my chainsaw, then flew it all over the states. Didn't try to charge me, just delayed my north americain adventure by a few weeks.

Stickman

[Aaron Gregg]

Thanks Scot, I'll look into it.

Stickman: what have you done to prepare a saw for flight? Have you ever told an airline dude that you're packin' a saw? Have you ever had trouble?

-Aaron

P.S. thanks Barry, I'll keep that in mind if I make it to the continent.

[ALAKAZAM]

I used to travel with a weedwacker.
I put a screw in the middle so i could chop it in half and stuck it in an airtight bag and then in my prop case.They don't normally ask what is in your case until you get off the plane anyway.Just make sure there is no fuel whatsoever.Clean the tank out good.
I also had many weedwackers,one in england,one in canada,one in australia.So i didn't have to travel internationally with one.You could do that too.
AL.

[stickman]

Not that much really. Emptied the tank, and told them I had performance gear in the baggage. Mentioned swords, machettes, juggling clubs, chainsaw, baseball bats, pitch forks, modeling ballons etc... Most people shut off their brains halfway through my "total" disclosure of my travelling gear.

Funny thing is I tend to have more trouble in England then anywhere else in the world. They try to take my stuff away when I'm leaving the country.

I.E. machettes while boarding a ferry, and once they tried to stop me from wearing my "chainmail" on the ryanair flight. I explained I didn't want to be stabbed with someone's nail file that slipped through the security net and they let me on.

In the states they are constantly making me take off my 14 hole doc martins. Think it was 4 times last trip. Mind you one time I had a screw driver in my jacket pocket I had forgotten about which would have made a great weapon. I turned it in on my last transfer, when I discovered. Really it depends on the guys behind the counter. I've seen them take away a ballon I made from a child, for fear it would blow up the aircraft. Also heard of people having trouble travelling with the batterys for their wheelcairs. Figure it's sort of a lottery. Don't lie, just don't encourage them to be afraid of stupid things. I used to be a aircraft service techinician in a former life, and doubt your little chainsaw is likely to hurt anything, nor mine for that matter. Underpaid, overworked ground crew and exhusted pilots worry me alot more.

Stickman

http://www.timothyterror.com

p.s. Hmm look out for my new book. 101 ways to bring down and aircraft. Not availible to terrorists.

[Aaron Gregg]

Sounds positive

A weedwacker Al? Maybe you can explain it to me in Waterloo.

It sounds like both of you haven't had much trouble. I'll take mine on a domestic flight and not say a word unless asked about gas-powered machinery in my case.

It's funny stickman, every US flight I have to take off my shoes. The funny one for me is that when I bought a last-minute ticket they put me in the special line where they inspect you reallly well. Since last-minute purchase puts you in the high-risk category highjackers must now plan severaly days in advance if they plan to get hold of a plane. Excellent plan Rumsfeld.

-Aaron

[malkav powermann]

no prob

US customs let in man carrying bloody chainsaw and sword

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1503326,00.html

[stickman]

OUCH!!!

Does this mean I have to clean the blood off my chainsaw before crossing hte border? Hmm have swords and knifes too.

Let you all know if I make it into Canada.

Stickman