FAA proposing to ban checking in electronics larger than a cellphone

[WMGroomAK]

Thought that this was an interesting article that may have a large impact on @LinusTech and other YouTubers attending future conventions.  In an article posted on Engadget, the FAA is proposing new rules that would limit the electronics that you can check in at the airport to the size of a cellphone or smaller in order to limit the risk of a lithium-ion battery exploding and creating an unmanageable fire in the cargo compartment.  

 

https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/20/faa-proposes-ban-large-electronics-checked-baggage/

Quote

While most of us probably keep our laptops and other large electronics in our carry-on bags, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) still wants to avoid the risk associated with exploding lithium-ion batteries in the cargo hold of passenger aircraft. According to an official FAA document uploaded by PetaPixel's Michael Zhang, the agency is proposing a ban on large personal electronics (anything bigger than a cell phone) in checked baggage.

 

The FAA conducted 10 tests of laptops inside of suitcases. A heater was set against the lithium ion cell to force the battery to overheat. In one of the tests, a can of aerosol dry shampoo was in the suitcase. The currently permitted shampoo ignited from the overheating battery and caused a fire that could not be extinguished by a cargo-hold fire suppression system typical of most airlines. Other tests found similar results with other "dangerous goods" like nail polish remover, hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol.

 

While banning this particular combination of items in checked baggage would be the logical next step, the FAA writes that doing so would confuse passengers even more. "We believe that it would be difficult for passengers to understand and correctly meet requirements that vary based on the specific content of their checked baggage," the FAA said in the document. "Complexity increases the likelihood of non-compliance and continued presence of the risk." Requiring that these items be carried on in airplane cabins remains the simplest method, according to the FAA. Cabin crews are more effective than automated cargo systems at stopping any fires from spreading, says the FAA.

Petapixel article: https://petapixel.com/2017/10/20/us-urging-airlines-ban-cameras-checked-bags/

 

This is kind of interesting in which I'm not sure how you would classify something as cellphone size or smaller...  Most modern cellphones contain a battery that can be several times larger than a digital camera battery pack.  According to the FAA document they are considering this for large Portable Electronic Devices (PED)s which they define as a laptop, tablet, or similar device that is larger than a cellphone or smartphone. I'll admit that I usually carry all my electronics on my carry-on, however that's usually limited to a small digital camera, smartphone, tablet, Switch and an external 20,000 mAH battery pack.  This also will probably impact anything that you try to order online and have to get delivered via air as in my experience recently Amazon will not ship large battery packs on air delivery.

[79wjd]

Do you want your electronics stolen? Because that's how they get stolen. 

[Guest]

Maybe if they said to limit lithium based batteries (ion and polymer) that would be smarter, and open a market for aftermarket non-lithium batteries for air travel. 

[paddy-stone]

I wouldn't put expensive electronics in the checked in luggage anyway... always use carry on bags as much as you can.

[rockking1379]

Personally I don’t see this going over. If they ban laptops from flights literally every business professional will be effected in a bad way. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, rockking1379 said:

Personally I don’t see this going over. If they ban laptops from flights literally every business professional will be effected in a bad way. 

The airlines can  just charge a premium for laptops. Most American companies are in a trust/owned by a company in a trust. 

 

EDIT:

may be incorrect info. I'M NOT A STOCK TRADESMAN IDKKKKK

[bimmerman]

Who checks their laptop? That goes with you so you can work on the flight.

 

This policy actually makes a good amount of sense as electronics fires in the cabin can be put out much faster than in the cargo hold. Is it inconvenient? Maybe...but not for that many folks...

[Kobathor]

8 minutes ago, rockking1379 said:

Personally I don’t see this going over. If they ban laptops from flights literally every business professional will be effected in a bad way. 

This is only for checking it in your bag, this won't affect carry-ons. I don't know anybody that checks electronics other than things like small desktop computers (for Dreamhack ) and drones...

[silberdrachi]

Id like to see the actual numbers on people who put something larger than a point and shoot camera in their checked luggage.

 

Not even paying attention to the issue of theft, you would also have to worry about your bag being tossed around and going from hot to cold to wet to snow to god knowns what else. Checked bags only make sense to me for clothing and souvenirs that are too big to fit in your carry-on.

[79wjd]

4 minutes ago, silberdrachi said:

Id like to see the actual numbers on people who put something larger than a point and shoot camera in their checked luggage.

 

Not even paying attention to the issue of theft, you would also have to worry about your bag being tossed around and going from hot to cold to wet to snow to god knowns what else. Checked bags only make sense to me for clothing and souvenirs that are too big to fit in your carry-on.

Most hardware is decently resilient to temperature changes and most luggage is also heavily water resistant. So neither of those should cause much of a problem.

 

Although, I will say that checked luggage, for the most part, doesn't make sense to me at all. Sure there are occasions when it's necessary, but for most people, most of the time, you could easily get by with just a carry on (although there would be enough room in the overhead bins if everyone did carry on).

[BuckGup]

3 minutes ago, silberdrachi said:

Id like to see the actual numbers on people who put something larger than a point and shoot camera in their checked luggage.

 

Not even paying attention to the issue of theft, you would also have to worry about your bag being tossed around and going from hot to cold to wet to snow to god knowns what else. Checked bags only make sense to me for clothing and souvenirs that are too big to fit in your carry-on.

Lol I brought 3 8000mah 4S lipos on a plane once

[SansVarnic]

Well I can understand the reasoning for this but this is not the way to go about this.

 

1 hour ago, fpo said:

The airlines can  just charge a premium for laptops. Most American companies are in a trust/owned by a company in a trust. 

Umm no, just no. Not sure where you read that from.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, SansVarnic said:

Well I can understand the reasoning for this but this is not the way to go about this.

 

Umm no, just no. Not sure where you read that from.

I'm not sure either... probably my social problems class, or a youtube video. Either way ... Idk what I was getting at.. 

[ARikozuM]

Roadtrips across the Atlantic? Count me in! Just have to get a James Bond car to do it in style. 

[WMGroomAK]

5 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

Although, I will say that checked luggage, for the most part, doesn't make sense to me at all. Sure there are occasions when it's necessary, but for most people, most of the time, you could easily get by with just a carry on (although there would be enough room in the overhead bins if everyone did carry on).

For the majority of people I don't think it will be an issue (unless we reach a point where the FAA wants no electronics on a flight) however there are small groups of people, especially in the media industry, that can't carry on all the electronics they would need for their job and I think that's where this will have the biggest impact.  I don't know how much gear Linus and crew need to take to perform a shoot at something like CES or another expo/convention/product reveal or if they could even get away with fitting it all into their carry-on and that's where I would see this having the biggest impact.  

[Shreyas1]

What about desktops? They don’t use batteries. What if you remove the battery off a laptop and then transport it? 

[79wjd]

4 minutes ago, Shreyas1 said:

What about desktops? They don’t use batteries. What if you remove the battery off a laptop and then transport it? 

For consistency and simplicity reasons, I would expect the ban to apply to all electronics and not make exceptions -- like if you remove the battery. 

[SpaceGhostC2C]

6 minutes ago, Shreyas1 said:

What about desktops? They don’t use batteries. What if you remove the battery off a laptop and then transport it? 

Probably possible, but the opposite is already banned in many places (someone I know got a replacement laptop battery -the laptop itself was at her home- removed from her checked luggage because batteries alone are banned from the luggage compartment. So she arrived home and instead of replacement battery found a note from origin airport's security telling that she could pick it up or send someone to pick it up at the airport's offices -across the Atlantic ).

[Zodiark1593]

1 hour ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

Probably possible, but the opposite is already banned in many places (someone I know got a replacement laptop battery -the laptop itself was at her home- removed from her checked luggage because batteries alone are banned from the luggage compartment. So she arrived home and instead of replacement battery found a note from origin airport's security telling that she could pick it up or send someone to pick it up at the airport's offices -across the Atlantic ).

How did she get it back then?

[SpaceGhostC2C]

40 minutes ago, Zodiark1593 said:

How did she get it back then?

I picked it up for her, but otherwise, she simply wouldn't have: they store it for some time (4 or 8 weeks, don't remember), and you can pay for them to extend the storage a little longer (but they can refuse), after that they destroy it, or so they claim  They also charge you a small "storing fee" even if you pick it up within the 4- or 8-week window.

[79wjd]

Just now, Nicholatian said:

You don't fly very often, do you?

 

Wacom drawing tablets don't like the extremely cold temperatures 38,000 feet in the air. Messes with their display functionality. To make it even more fun, Wacom told us we could get it "repaired" for $900 USD, which is typical considering the tablet's defining feature is its state-of-the-art touch display. In short, it was totaled.

 

Another thing that's pretty easy to overlook is the machines that handle luggage as it gets transported through the airport to be loaded on. You'll get better care for your bags out of FedEx, and that's assuming the deliverer is careless and throws your package over the railings and everything. The airlines profit thanks to all of that air and plastic you'll have to pack them with to make sure they're not liable to break, which equates to added weight and space consumption. You'll be thrilled to find out that they give you a 4-hour window to make a claim for non-carryon items damaged in transit.

I have actually flown quite a bit.

 

Of course there are certain items which are extremely sensitive to temperature change -- I can leave a steak out in hot sun for a short while and it will be ruined -- but most technology would do just fine in luggage.

 

Generally there is going to be plenty of clothing to protect anything you check, and just in general its good practice to pad anything delicate -- just like you would if you were shipping it. 

[Master Disaster]

Typical old and out of touch response....

 

"Phones are exploding on planes and causing fire risks. Quick let's ban everything bigger than a phone from planes."

[PianoPlayer88Key]

So how would  Linus carry, for example, his entire server cabinet on a flight?

 

And, if I had to ship something instead of have it on the same flight with me, I'd want it done the same day so I'd have as little as possible time without it.

 

For example,

1. Drive toward the airport, with everything in the car.
2. Arrive.
3. Ship the items that can't go with me.
4. Go through airport security.
5. Board plane, fly, arrive at destination airport.
6. Exit secure area of airport
7. Pick up items you shipped
8. Pick up rental car
9. Head to ultimate destination.

 

That should be no more expensive than it has been for taking things on the flight with you - well, how much it USED to be before many airlines started charging for checked bags.

 

[Prysin]

13 hours ago, fpo said:

Maybe if they said to limit lithium based batteries (ion and polymer) that would be smarter, and open a market for aftermarket non-lithium batteries for air travel. 

2 seconds while i recharge my lead-acid battery

[Septimus]

This is literally why the 99WHr limit for Li-ion batteries exists.