Thursday, September 20, 2001

Guns, ammo and air travel: Taking firearms on trips just got harder

Flight rule updates Delta Airlines: 289-6893 American Airlines: (800) 433-7300 Southwest Airlines: (800) 435-9792 Continental Airline: (800) 525-0280 http://cas.FAA.gov/faq.html CorpusChristiAirport.com www.safariclub.org/travel/welcome.htm

How last week's events might affect the sportsman was not a question on my mind at first.
   There were far greater issues to consider, and my media colleagues have addressed them well.
   Frankly, I felt a little left out during the race to disseminate information. A part of me cannot ignore my hard news roots.
   It was all I could do to step aside during the bustle. The issue of firearms and travel certainly did not occur to me, even though this hunting season will find many of you at airports with a gun case among your luggage.
   This changed on Friday when I received a call from a friend in Louisiana who is scheduled to fly into Corpus Christi today for our annual reunion dove hunt.
   His concerns caused my focus to divert from the worldly to the mundane.
   He wanted to know whether the hunt was still on for Friday's South Zone opener. And he wanted to know whether he could borrow a shotgun if the airline prohibited the transport of his.
   We agreed that such a suspension or interruption of liberty would be warranted under the circumstances. I hesitate to use the word "liberty" in this case, because I consider transporting firearms on a commercial airliner more of a privilege than a right.
   Rather than checking with the airline he would be flying with, I told my friend to leave his shotgun at home to prevent unforeseen headaches. During times of heightened security, being told one day that the airline would allow him to check a shotgun at the ticket counter does not guarantee the same rule would apply when he arrived at the New Orleans airport.
   According to Mike Cox, the Corpus Christi manager of Delta Airlines, rule changes have been coming at the rate of about a dozen a day since the attacks. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration recommended travelers call the day of their flights for updates to rules regarding firearms.
   So because there is no curbside checking of luggage and no driving or parking within 300 feet of the Corpus Christi International Airport, would we be allowed to carry a firearm into the terminal?
   The answer, as of Wednesday, is yes.
   Guns still may be checked with luggage. Rifles and shotguns should be unloaded and in a locked hard case. Ammunition must be in the original container and should travel in a piece of luggage separate from your gun case. Ammo also must be checked as always.
   Handguns must be checked unloaded and may be in a locked bag, soft or hard, not necessarilly a gun case. Notify the airline attendant when checking your bags that you have a gun, so it may be inspected and tagged. This is federal law.
   FAA spokesman Roland Herwig recommends that hunters declare their intent or desire to bring firearms on flights when booking a seat and again just prior to their flights, before leaving for the airport. He also urges us to exercise patience and to arrive well in advance of scheduled takeoffs.
   Two hours is more than adequate for an airport the size of ours, with current air traffic. Call ahead to be sure.
   As of this writing, airlines will not allow knives or any cutting implements on passengers or in their carry-on bags. Compressed gas or liquid fuel canisters such as ones used for camp stoves are not allowed in any part of a commercial airliner.
   Keep in mind that what one airline allows another may not.
  
  
  

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