flying with pedal steel

Aaron Gemmill · Post by **Aaron Gemmill** » 25 May 2008 4:55 pm

any advice on flying w/ pedal steel? should i gate check it or will it be fine so long as its in a good case?

Tommy R. Butler · Post by **Tommy R. Butler** » 25 May 2008 6:22 pm

This is a very debatable subject. I have been made to check them at the ticket / check in counter. I have tried to carry it on and got as far as the boarding area before they took it and $75 from me. I have been able to valet it before. I have been able to put it a freakn over hear before and I have been able to put it in the closet at the front of the plane...

All I can say is be nice.... Be very nice... get there early and explain your situation in a very nice manner. From there you are at their mercy and you will just have to see what happens...

I do remember flying to Dallas / Ft Worth not long ago. I had to check it. They threw it on the belt and when it went thru at the end of the belt I heard it tumble a few times.... When it hit the bottom it shook the floor at the ticket check in counter... I just shook my head and bit my tongue.... Oh yeah the insurance they offer LOL !!! Its not for damage anymore.... Its for loss.... I wouldnt need the guitar if the plane crashed ...Think About It !!!

I heard yesterday that since fuel was now soooo outrageous alot of airlines are charging for every carry on, there are no free snacks, and the trips are taking longer because the are flying slower to save fuel ???

Gonna get worse before it gets better.

When I got to TX it was fine...

What do you do !!!!!

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh $:\$

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 25 May 2008 9:25 pm

Yep!You are at their mercy.This past Feb.I flew home from SanAntonio Texas to Anchorage Alaska and they charged me $50.00 to check in my D-10.The ticket agent played lets make a deal with me.."How Much do you think I should charge you?" I said $20.00 he said $100.00 my friend said $40.00 the agent said $50.00 and he said sold.When the TSA agent asked me what I had I very nicely explained what it was,and to please be careful,and she said "So You think That you're Special?" I said no.When I picked up my steel home in Alaska that had ripped my Bill Lawrence pick-up out by the wires.I'm glad they are protecting us.

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 25 May 2008 10:37 pm

I played Caitness in Scotland a few weeks ago, flew in with EasyJet. On the vennue I discovered damage: Steelguitar broke 4 tuningpeggs and my rackcase was smashed. My Boogie preamp was torn of the 19 inch hings, tubes lying around in the rack and cables were torn of. nobody will charge for this. I know, I'm stupid, but my gear wasn't insured...

Charly sended me new peggs, It's already my 5th flightcase, also the expensive ones from US builders. No steelguitarcase stands droppings from 5 feet.
They don't admit, but 'fragile' means at airports: Smash
JJ

Dave Biller · Post by **Dave Biller** » 25 May 2008 11:15 pm

no airline baggage "handler" will ever get within 2 miles of any of my instruments. Aaron, if you have to do it i suggest investing in a very durable road case. maybe get a student model single neck.

Aaron Gemmill · Post by **Aaron Gemmill** » 27 May 2008 6:21 am

i'm taking a weeknight redeye w/ no layovers from new york to birmingham, so i'm hoping the flight is underbooked and i can just gate check it.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 27 May 2008 6:28 am

I just brought my Fulawka back from Toronto on Westjet in split flight cases. The body of the D-10 in the flight case is something like 56 pounds, but I didn't have to pay extra, the guitar went through the special handling treatment, and all was fine. Which has always been my experience flying with instruments (and pets and golf clubs, for that matter), but there are horror stories. Still, if you need to fly you need to fly, and you just have to have a case you have confidence in and accept that nothing is risk-free. Hey, I let them carry my family.....

Tom Middleton · Post by **Tom Middleton** » 27 May 2008 8:04 am

American Airlines announced last week that effective June 15th, they are going to charge $15.00 for your FIRST checked bag. They already charge $25.00 for a second checked bag. The other airlines will no doubt adopt the same policy. That can only hurt anyone wanting to check an instrument as well as cause a glut in overhead bin space which is already usually completey full.

Alex McCollough · Post by **Alex McCollough** » 27 May 2008 9:17 am

In the last year, I've flown to Europe twice (and several trips in the US) with a single neck (47lbs. in the case). Each time, I would check it like normal luggage, but I would have to take it to "oversize luggage" and I would wait while they inspected it.
I really think that the key is a very snug case (my Desert Rose has a Justice case, and i think that it's one of the best built and best fitting cases that I've seen).
A road case is nice, but it's just too expensive to travel with one. I have had some really good luck... I've never had any damage (but I wouldn't travel with anything that I can't replace).
I did toy with the idea of buying one of Dan Bentley's fiber cases that was just big enough for the body of the guitar, and then carrying it on the flight (but packing my pedal rack and legs in my suitcase). The only problem is that overhead compartments vary so much and the last thing that i would want would be to have to gate check (or worse, standard check) a guitar in a fiber case.

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 29 May 2008 1:57 pm

This is a big concern for me right now. Our band is flying to Poland in August. My 10 year old wood case won't make it for sure. I.m considering building an ATA type case for it. I need to build a couple of cases anyway for my non pedal steels, so I can practice on them.

Randy Gilliam · Post by **Randy Gilliam** » 29 May 2008 3:15 pm

Edge You TightWad Dig Up A Couple Jars In The Back Yard And Buy You a Case. Your Pal Randy Come To Tras Thurs And I Will Put You To work Later Randy.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 29 May 2008 3:49 pm

Alex,I also flew a Desert Rose with one of Fred's cases,a very snug fit...It still couldn't keep the TSA agent's fingers from pulling out the wires on my Bill Lawrence pickup...Did I mention that it was American Airlines?

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 29 May 2008 3:53 pm

I have a Bob Dell wheeled road case which I always use when I fly with my Zums.. although I always take out the leg bag and stow that in my suitcase. This keeps the steel case under 30 kgs. Never had any damage issues (touch wood)so far, and I always personally take the case through to the Heavy bags area. I have flown the Zum to Aussie for each of the last 3 years and the airlines have been great. (Qantas and Air New Zealand)

Get a decent roadcase with wheels!!!!

If I fly with at least 1 other person it splits the weight between us for no extra charges as well.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 29 May 2008 3:56 pm

Alex McCollough wrote:In the last year, I've flown to Europe twice (and several trips in the US) with a single neck (47lbs. in the case). Each time, I would check it like normal luggage, but I would have to take it to "oversize luggage" and I would wait while they inspected it.
I really think that the key is a very snug case (my Desert Rose has a Justice case, and i think that it's one of the best built and best fitting cases that I've seen).
A road case is nice, but it's just too expensive to travel with one. I have had some really good luck... I've never had any damage (but I wouldn't travel with anything that I can't replace).
I did toy with the idea of buying one of Dan Bentley's fiber cases that was just big enough for the body of the guitar, and then carrying it on the flight (but packing my pedal rack and legs in my suitcase). The only problem is that overhead compartments vary so much and the last thing that i would want would be to have to gate check (or worse, standard check) a guitar in a fiber case.

Alex, could you tell me a little more about Dan's cases? I am looking for a lightweight case for just the body of my SD10, in an attempt to allow my bad back to be able to move this steel..somehow.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 29 May 2008 8:20 pm

My approach to flying with a steel, the couple of times I've done it, has been this: rather than sweat trying to get it on the plane as carry-on, I stuff as much packing material ( bubble wrap, sheet styrofoam, packing paper, rags, towels, corrugated cardboard, whatever) into the right places in the case to ensure that nothing can move inside the case at all, then pack the case into a carton with sheet styrofoam at least in all the corners, but surrounding the case as much as possible, and check it. Same procedure as for shipping a steel. Why rely on the case only? The steel is going to be a heavy, unwieldy item for handling no matter what you do, so why not err, if at all, on the side of protective overkill rather than on the side of over risk? You may have to pay some bucks, especially nowadays, but so what? What hassle could be worse than having your steel damaged?

I put inside the case, along with my name, e-mail address and cell phone number, a picture of the steel set up with a note to the inspectors that says "This is a pedal steel guitar. The picture shows what it looks like set up. Please re-pack it the same way you found it to protect it from damage. Thank you."

Aaron Gemmill · Post by **Aaron Gemmill** » 29 May 2008 10:29 pm

i suppose this should be an endorsement for pedalmaster...

on my chicago layover today, i was way in the back of the plane and my steel was the 3rd piece of luggage to come out on the conveyer belt... they stopped the belt and all 3 guys looked at it and one dude just heaved it onto the luggage cart so violently that i could hear the impact from inside the plane.r

i decided i hate flying enough as it is so i should just put it out of my mind.

when i unpacked for rehearsal in birmingham it wasn't even out of tune.

oddly enough, my bag of clothes got caught on something and the outside pockets were all ripped off.... guess the picked the right bag to trash this time.

Aaron Gemmill · Post by **Aaron Gemmill** » 29 May 2008 10:30 pm

oh yeah.... i just cut up some towels to place in the case to pad all the wiggle room. the case seems pretty sturdy but i think i'm going to put some 'this side up' stencils on it for the TSA goons.

Arty Passes · Post by **Arty Passes** » 30 May 2008 7:06 pm

I had to fly commercial last year to Kuwait for an AFE tour of Iraq. Nothing could be over 70lbs, and my Emmons in its Keal case is about 85.
I took my S-10 Marlen , but didn't want to spring for another expensive road case that would probably be too heavy anyway.
I went to my local UPS store and had them make me a cardboard case, lined with styrofoam. I put velcro on the top so I could re-close it, and put straps around it.
I probably was very lucky, but made it intact but not unblemished. I did patch it with duct tape after every leg of the trip, and it looks totally redneck, but worked.
The rest of the trip was in C-130s and all our gear was palletized, so travelled safely there.
Going to France this summer and I guess I'll pull it out of storage.....
I have flown domestically with the Keal case, and just pay the overage (actually the boss pays)

Lonnie Zsigray · Post by **Lonnie Zsigray** » 1 Jun 2008 6:58 pm

I have a Desert Rose also and it came with a Justice case.I must say that I am not impressed with it.Had to replace all the screws that hold the latchs on with longer ones because the original screws kept falling out.Don't really want to find out how it will hold up in an aircraft but that time is coming.I hear that Kevin Hatton builds some outstanding cases on wheels.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 1 Jun 2008 7:31 pm

Why do so many appear to be unwilling to pack the steel, secured inside the case, into a carton, with impact-absorbing material around it, at least in strategic locations? Seems to me that greatly reduces the risk of damage to the steel. And I want the least risk possible. If you have a packaging place do it, it might cost $25, but isn't it worth it?

Lonnie Zsigray · Post by **Lonnie Zsigray** » 2 Jun 2008 3:14 am

I will certainly spring for the added packaging before my steel ever gets to the airport.Can't afford the alternative.Very good advice.

flying with pedal steel

flying with pedal steel

Roger

case

packing