Can't Fly with a rig in Boston

[nate_1979 9]

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All this time I had in my hands my USPA card, my CYPRES card, and copies
of "TSA advises Cary-Ons" from the USPA website and the "Parachutes"
information from the TSA website (none of which I could get them to show interest in).

My rig has a Cypress 2 in it, I keep seeing these references to the "cypres" card, ... Where can I get one of these? I will be flying with my rig for the first time on Friday, I plan on bringing ALL of the above info but I have yet to figure out or even ever see a Cypres card.. Anybody had any good / bad luck flying with a cypres rig w/o the card?

FGF #???
I miss the sky...
There are 10 types of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't.

[pilotdave 0]

Only flown with my rig a couple times but never needed to show the card. I think its probably pretty useless in this post-9/11 world. If the TSA doesn't like what they see on their screen, they don't tend to ask you for an explanation. All the card shows is a quick explanation of what a cypres is, what the components are, and a picture of what it looks like on an x-ray. A shoe bomber could just as easily bring along his step-o-meter card that explains what the bomb shaped thing in his shoe is for. They're not gonna pay much attention.

Dave

[dorbie 0]

I hope you took names and will file a complaint. You are allowed to fly with parachutes and AADs and it's recommended to carry them on. Let the USPA know and file a complaint with the TSA.

From the USPA site:

Skydivers encountering problems with screeners should request that the screener's supervisor become involved. Skydivers should insist that the supervisor review " Chapter Section 17.2 of Version 4.0 of the Screening Checkpoint Standard Operating Procedure." Skydivers encountering unsatisfactory treatment should contact USPA at 703-836-3495 ext. 325 or e-mail us. Be ready to provide the airport, date and time of flight, airline and flight number, and names of TSA officials involved.

[dorbie 0]

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All this time I had in my hands my USPA card, my CYPRES card, and copies
of "TSA advises Cary-Ons" from the USPA website and the "Parachutes"
information from the TSA website (none of which I could get them to show interest in).

My rig has a Cypress 2 in it, I keep seeing these references to the "cypres" card, ... Where can I get one of these? I will be flying with my rig for the first time on Friday, I plan on bringing ALL of the above info but I have yet to figure out or even ever see a Cypres card.. Anybody had any good / bad luck flying with a cypres rig w/o the card?

My cypress2 came with this card. In fact it came with two copies of the same card. I don't think the card is essential, in fact it just identifies components in a typical x-ray image. I thought similar diagrams were available on the USPA or TSA site but the info has changed within the last month.

The cypres 2 manual has the same diagrams in it (from memory, could be wrong).

[Hazarrd 1]

i fly out of boston all the team. 4 times with a rig, never a problem

.-.

[dorbie 0]

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i fly out of boston all the team. 4 times with a rig, never a problem

Yea he probably just looked like a damned hippy.

[nate_1979 9]

Has anyone in here ever traveled with their rig in Checked luggage? How are your experiances with this? I did some messurements, and my rig in the bag is literally 1 or 2 inches larger than what northwest airlines says is the max carry on size.. I do have a pelican case that I could put it in, I feel that whatever they do with checked luggage is not going to be an issue with it in that case, but how about the security aspect of it? Anybody know if there is a way they can check it and then allow you to lock it?

FGF #???
I miss the sky...
There are 10 types of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't.

[chopchop 0]

I travel with my gear often, mostly SFO or Oakland to Orlando and have never had a problem.. Once they had to call a supervisor because they were unsure but it turned out fine.

The last time, last Tuesday at SFO, the TSA guy taught a newer checker how to inspect a rig and allowed me to point out the nadles and what not to do.. I felt good that they were taking an interest and seemed to care about what they were doing.

Now, with then new rules of having to take your video cameras out, I got some real interesting looks and comments when I pulled out my camera helmet and put that in a bin since my video camera was still on it.

It's too bad that after all this time, there are still some TSA agents that aren't up on skydiving gear but I believe they will get there..

Edited to add.. I have checked my gear many times as well without issue but for a while, I would hang around the area where they put it through the big machines to see if they freaked.. and be there is they did.

chopchop
gotta go... Plaything needs a spanking..

Lotsa Pictures

[Hazarrd 1]

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i fly out of boston all the team. 4 times with a rig, never a problem

Yea he probably just looked like a damned hippy.

what? whats that supposed to mean.

.-.

[Harksaw 0]

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i fly out of boston all the team. 4 times with a rig, never a problem

Yea he probably just looked like a damned hippy.

I can vouch for Plaedouh, he looks nothing at all like a hippy.

__________________________________________________
I started skydiving for the money and the chicks. Oh, wait.

[Plaedouh 0]

Hey, I'm working on that hippie look. Perhaps my next step will be to have long (old-school) Crazy Ray Hair.

UPDATION

Immeadiatly after the incident, I emailed USPA. Ed Scott replied to me within 48 hours. He also CC me a letter he sent to a TSA Official in Washington. 48 hours later I had been contacted by a local TSA Customer Service supervisor, who had opened an investigation into all this. She contacted me a total of 3 times to be sure she had every detail right. She also appologized many, many times. I was told I would be informed regarding the results of the investigation, but have heard nothing since. She did however assure me the proper procedure here would be disgussed with all Supervisors so that this would hopefully not be an issue again.

Since then I have flown with my rig again, once. No incident flying out of Boston. However, I attribute that to the fact I was walking through security at 4:30am and everyone was asleep. On the flight back, I checked my rig (call it a gut feeling), and when I entered security in Greenville, SC for my return trip, I was all but anal probed (though that redneck security guard did eyeball my hippie ass a couple times...). I can just immagine the fun I'd have had with that as a cary on (the rig, too). When I got to boston, I could tell my bag was inspected, but my rig was not removed from the nylon bag protecting my rig inside the cary on. However, I could tell they must have been facinated with my hook knife, as that had been moved to a different pocket of my cary on.

Overall, I still don't trust those bastards.

[dorbie 0]

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i fly out of boston all the team. 4 times with a rig, never a problem

Yea he probably just looked like a damned hippy.

what? whats that supposed to mean.

Hell no!

[dorbie 0]

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Overall, I still don't trust those bastards.

With your rig or with your life? That is afterall what they're ultimately charged with protecting
Personally I think it's crazy to be taking nail cutters & pen knives off passengers now, considering box cutters & blades of all sorts wouldn't get anyone into the cockpit these days. It was the bluff that beat the system on 9/11. That's the kind of institutional stupidity that really burns me up over this new 'security'. Frankly it doesn't surprise me that low level TSA folks get suspicious of parachutes. As a whuffo I'd have been frikin nervous if I'd known someone had brought a parachute on board because I just didn't know any better. Shame they can't even read & follow their own guidelines.

P.S. it's satisfying to imagine some senior federal bureaucrat is going to be crapping all over some Boston supervisor bureaucrat's parade because he was too arrogant to listen to you. There's some justice in that at least.

[Fast 0]

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Overall, I still don't trust those bastards.

With your rig or with your life? That is afterall what they're ultimately charged with protecting
...

P.S. it's satisfying to imagine some senior federal bureaucrat is going to be crapping all over some Boston supervisor bureaucrat's parade because he was too arrogant to listen to you. There's some justice in that at least.

The first part is why i won't check my rig if i fly. I don't like the idea of having my bags searched with my rig in it and me not there. Which may or may not happen if I check it and you can't really be sure.


The second part is just plain funny. It made me laugh

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[bob.dino 0]

They are not supposed to search your rig without you being present. So says the TSA website.

[herv 0]

I flew out of Boston a little over a year ago with my rig in a carry on. Even though they pulled me to the side to open the bag, absoloutley no problem. I did have the paperwork and cypress card on top of the rig in the bag, but the screener wasn't even concerned about it. He stated they had just gone through training on parachutes.

While flying out of Phoenix, the only thing the TSA wanted to double check was the altimeter. It was among a bunch of other stuff in a bag. He wasn't sure what he saw on the x-ray and was trying to describe it to me. When he said it was something round with something that looked like gears in it, I pointed him to the correct pocket. Once I explained to him how it worked, everything was fine.

Sounds to me like you ran into something I hate...ignorance. Too often I meet people that instead of saying "I don't know", they are too scared of looking stupid and they jump on the desk and scream "I'm in charge!"

[flyangel2 2]

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They are not supposed to search your rig without you being present. So says the TSA website.

I can think of three people that had the TSA look, cut and open their gear when they were not present.

Who's to stop them?

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[Fast 0]

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They are not supposed to search your rig without you being present. So says the TSA website.

I can think of three people that had the TSA look, cut and open their gear when they were not present.

Who's to stop them?

They also are supposed to let you fly with a rig.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[flyangel2 2]

Right

Now, if the TSAs were following the guildlines that have been set up, we won't be having this discussion.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[Plaedouh 0]

And here is my follow up...
(again, names deleted because I just think it's apropriate). Other than the fact they were unable to understand that I flew on Continental Airlines, and I provided the specific flight number and departure time, I'm slightly encouraged with this response.

*****

Hi Mike,
Here is a response from TSA headquarters. From you information, they
were able to counsel the appropriate TSA supervisor there. Hopefully
there will be no more problems at Boston, thanks to you!

Ed Scott
Director of Government Relations

-----Original Message-----
From: xxx
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 12:48 PM
To: Ed Scott
Subject: Boston Follow up

Ed, here is the follow up from Boston. Bottom line, they seem to admit
they didn't do the right thing and have counseled the supervisor:

xxx, our CS specialist, did a fine job investigating
this. Although the passenger was unsure which airline he had been
flying, we deduced from his direct knowledge of the supervisor's and a
screener's name that matched another airline's checkpoint manning that
he had, in fact, been denied access via TSA checkpoint.
TSA BOS' Standardization Team has been directed to reinforce our policy
on chutes and this supervisor has been counseled

We'll keep chipping away, one airport at a time if need be!!

xxx
Supervisor, Screening Checkpoint Operations
TSA Aviation Operations

[mattjw916 2]

I am flying with my rig again tomorrow... ELP <--> LAX we'll see how I fare during the holiday travel craziness when all the "amateur" travelers are out in force.

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080