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Flying with a Firearm


Gemdandy

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Hope someone can give me some info, I am from Indiana and have a personal protection permit and have flown numerous times with a handgun its really a simple process , the only problem is over the years is St.Louis Lambert wants my combination to my gun case and I will tell them I will wait around for TSA to check it., Now my question is and I have researched a lot and cant find a real answer , can I fly out of a airport in Illinois? , I know I can travel with it through Illinois in my vehicle , but what about taking it out of vehicle in my luggage to check it in at the airport , anybody from other states flown out of Illinois with a handgun? THANKS

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I live in Illinois and regularly fly out of a small local airport with my firearm. TSA in St. Louis has never asked to look at it on my way in but always on my way out. In other words I fly in from Illinois change planes in St. Louis and travel on to destination. TSA has never looked at it. On way back checking into St. Louis awaiting my return flight to Illinois they ask to look at it. Never figured out why they want to look at it...

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I have run into the same problem in STL. We were boarded already when they decided they wanted to take a look. Asked me for the key and I refused citing the Federal law. Long story short is they got the key or I couldn't fly. Flight attendant supposedly was to stay with the key the whole time. Filed a complaint but nothing ever happened. STL is the only airport I have ever had an issue at.
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I have run into the same problem in STL. We were boarded already when they decided they wanted to take a look. Asked me for the key and I refused citing the Federal law. Long story short is they got the key or I couldn't fly. Flight attendant supposedly was to stay with the key the whole time. Filed a complaint but nothing ever happened. STL is the only airport I have ever had an issue at.

If you file a complaint with the TSA, it is forwarded back to the airport to be handled, i.e., you're complaining to the person about whom you're complaining. Don't expect any action on that.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Flew to Arizona earlier this summer with my G19, 3 mags, new box of 50 count of HST, and an auto knife. Packed in a Pelican double latch pistol case and 2 master locks.

 

Flew on American round trip. The check in attendant at ORD was professional and courteous. asked me to open the case and check for clear, I proceeded to show her a clear chamber. she asked me to lock everything back up and put it back in my checked bag. A TSA agent as well as plain clothes LE agent, (looked federal) escorted me to the luggage scanner with no hiccups. did not even open the bag. we then were escorted to the TSA security checkpoint at which point they took our carry on and we proceeded through TSA.

 

upon arrival at PHX, headed to the American Airlines luggage desk and claimed my bag no issues.

 

Leaving PHX was a different story. TSA took my Pelican case completely apart, took all the foam out that I had done a really detailed job outlining the pistol, magazines, knife and ammo box and sloppily put it back together lol. Also looked all through our checked bag.

 

Upon arrival at ORD, proceeded to the AA luggage desk and claimed my bag once again with courtesy and professionalism from the desk attendants.

 

through the whole experience, we always claimed our luggage before anyone else.

 

thumbs up for American Airlines.

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Flew to Arizona earlier this summer with my G19, 3 mags, new box of 50 count of HST, and an auto knife. Packed in a Pelican double latch pistol case and 2 master locks.

 

Flew on American round trip. The check in attendant at ORD was professional and courteous. asked me to open the case and check for clear, I proceeded to show her a clear chamber. she asked me to lock everything back up and put it back in my checked bag. A TSA agent as well as plain clothes LE agent, (looked federal) escorted me to the luggage scanner with no hiccups. did not even open the bag. we then were escorted to the TSA security checkpoint at which point they took our carry on and we proceeded through TSA.

 

upon arrival at PHX, headed to the American Airlines luggage desk and claimed my bag no issues.

 

Leaving PHX was a different story. TSA took my Pelican case completely apart, took all the foam out that I had done a really detailed job outlining the pistol, magazines, knife and ammo box and sloppily put it back together lol. Also looked all through our checked bag.

 

Upon arrival at ORD, proceeded to the AA luggage desk and claimed my bag once again with courtesy and professionalism from the desk attendants.

 

through the whole experience, we always claimed our luggage before anyone else.

 

thumbs up for American Airlines.

Well, thumbs up for AA as opposed to TSA, but AA was not even supposed to be that invasive, FWIW. I've never been asked to open any gun case at an airport.

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Flew to Arizona earlier this summer with my G19, 3 mags, new box of 50 count of HST, and an auto knife. Packed in a Pelican double latch pistol case and 2 master locks.

 

Flew on American round trip. The check in attendant at ORD was professional and courteous. asked me to open the case and check for clear, I proceeded to show her a clear chamber. she asked me to lock everything back up and put it back in my checked bag. A TSA agent as well as plain clothes LE agent, (looked federal) escorted me to the luggage scanner with no hiccups. did not even open the bag. we then were escorted to the TSA security checkpoint at which point they took our carry on and we proceeded through TSA.

 

upon arrival at PHX, headed to the American Airlines luggage desk and claimed my bag no issues.

 

Leaving PHX was a different story. TSA took my Pelican case completely apart, took all the foam out that I had done a really detailed job outlining the pistol, magazines, knife and ammo box and sloppily put it back together lol. Also looked all through our checked bag.

 

Upon arrival at ORD, proceeded to the AA luggage desk and claimed my bag once again with courtesy and professionalism from the desk attendants.

 

through the whole experience, we always claimed our luggage before anyone else.

 

thumbs up for American Airlines.

Well, thumbs up for AA as opposed to TSA, but AA was not even supposed to be that invasive, FWIW. I've never been asked to open any gun case at an airport.

 

interesting, because both times they did give me a declaration slip that I was required to sign on one side. on the other side had a big "firearm(s) unloaded" in bold print, and this declaration slip has to go inside the gun case itself as per AA guidelines, so there was no way of not opening the case.

 

that was my first flying with a firearm experience. I had all the TSA/and carrier guidelines printed out ready to go just in case anything went wrong, which it didn't.

 

I figured they did not hassle me, so I did not want to hassle them. I was also travelling with the whole family (2 toddlers, car seats, carryons etc...) so I was more concerned with getting everyone checked in and out of the airports ASAP.

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Hope someone can give me some info, I am from Indiana and have a personal protection permit and have flown numerous times with a handgun its really a simple process , the only problem is over the years is St.Louis Lambert wants my combination to my gun case and I will tell them I will wait around for TSA to check it., Now my question is and I have researched a lot and cant find a real answer , can I fly out of a airport in Illinois? , I know I can travel with it through Illinois in my vehicle , but what about taking it out of vehicle in my luggage to check it in at the airport , anybody from other states flown out of Illinois with a handgun? THANKS

 

Perfectly legal and TSA won't even bat an eye. Since you do not have an Illinois CCW license, you cannot have a loaded gun outside of your car. But an unloaded gun is just fine. When you get to Ohare, you have to check in with an agent and declare the firearm. They will look at it, give you a form to fill out, and walk with you as it goes through an x-ray machine.

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