Here we are in Seattle Washington with two of our handguns. We left Tampa last week and checked our firearms with just a quick check with the TSA. Landed in Dallas for a plane change and a quick flight up to Tulsa. Checked our firearms in Tulsa for the quick flight back to Dallas for a transfer to fly out here to Seattle. I signed the tag stating they're unloaded and and off we went. We have two metal TSA approved lockable cases and ammo rides in it's original box inside a leather pouch. The TSA website spells out the rules and each airline spells out their own fine print. Our concealed carry permits are reciprocal with Texas, Oklahoma and Washington so not a problem there. Any minor differences aren't violated with our firearms and carry method.
First time flying too! What a trip! No youtube video could prepare me for the feeling of taking off and landing. Not at all what I was expecting.
Just thought you might find it interesting...

 

Shweeeeeeeeet!

Ain't America GREAT!!!!!!!!

Land of the FREE, and home of the BRAVE.

(Now, just wait until you really hit some turbulence.)
Wanna greasy porkchop or some 'chicken fried steak'!?!?!?!
Yum, yum.










Sorry. Congrats on the good flying experience!!!

 

It's not hard to fly with firearms at all just need to be aware of laws of where you are flying into. Only problem I have had is with some liberal nut job ticket agents that had never dealt with firearm before. I have noticed that TSA is getting more standardized with how they deal with them it use to be different in ever airport.

 

Ah, I love pan fried pork chops! Much better than the soggy sandwich we got on the plane. We hit a little turbulence over the Rockies that was enough for the pilot to turn on the seat belt lights. I could see the wings flapping a little and it felt like my F250 on a bumpy road but not too bad. About like the buffeting when we got close to the ground for landing. Flying back home tomorrow. I sure like Seattle. So different from Tampa.

 

Before 9/11, we chased a fugitive to Springfield, Illinois. Are company booked our flight for us. We checked our bags at the New Orleans airport with no issues. We always unloaded, disassembled our handguns, and locked them in a metal gun safe. We put our magazines inside of our tennis shoes in a separate bag. All of it was put in checked baggage.

When we arrived in Springfield, we found that we were in the wrong one. We were in Joliet and not downtown Chicago. We rented a car and drove for four hours overnight until we arrived at the right place. We were two white guys in an all black middle class neighborhood. We stuck out big time. Someone called the law on us. They asked what we were doing and aksed if we were armed. We explained that we were watching a house to get a 25 year old guy with 53 alias's. This was a 150,000 dollar bond. We never took our weapons out of the trunk. The police made us follow them to the station. We were told to get another flight and leave Chicago. We were told that we were committing a second degree felony by having firearms in our car. They also told us that if they were called while we tried to apprehend, that we would go to jail for trespassing, breaking and entering, and kidnapping. We explained that we could not leave and had our own job to do. We waited till shift change and met another detective. He gave us his card in case we had any trouble and told us that if some act of god should happen so that we could grab the felon, then so be it. Long story short, the guy panicked and took off to Shreveport, Louisiana. We went to O'Hare airport to fly out to shreveport. We declared our weapons the same as always. They would not let us board until we disposed of our ammo. We had to locate the police department in the airport and hand over our ammo. Iwas ticked. I had 40 calibur black talons. They said that the ammo was not safe in the magazines inside of our tennis shoes. They needed to be in the original styrofoam in the cardboard box.

We bought new ammo from the police supply and caught our guy in Shreveport. I have not flown with any weapons since.


Oh yeah, it was 90 degrees here and when we arrived there it was 30 below with 3 feet of snow. My partner wound up getting a cold sore. We stopped at a drug store and the pharmacy recommended some ointment. He got in the car and started rubbing the ointment all over his sore and his lips. He was oohing and aahing. I read the instructions to him and started crying. It read to be used as a topical aid for the rectum only. He had rubbed *** cream all over his face.

 

My Grand dad flew with firearms frequently, loaded too......then jumped out of the airplane.........Of course that was 1943, and the German army was running the destination reception.

 

got a buddy who is a border patrol agent and one who works for the nsa, both just carry on a plane....

 

Some interesting reads here! The flight back from Seattle went well. TSA checked the suitcase with me present and SeaTac. He didn't open the gun cases but ran the sniffer around them. Closed it back up and said have a nice flight. Still can't get over going from Seattle to Tampa in 6.5 hours. So first time flying and with firearms went well. No hesitation taking them on future flights.
Jake00, they do? I didn't think anyone but the air marshal could board the plane armed.

 

SO what was the reason you needed firearms on a trip to Seattle?

 

both my buddies claim they don't even go through a metal detector at the airport

 

Didn't need them. But, we like to take our laptops, cell phones, cameras and firearms with us along with our other stuff. Tulsa was a little on the gritty side where we stayed not far from our daughter. I felt more comfortable with my firearm concealed on me than without it. In Seattle, I carried it rather than leave it in the hotel room.
I get the feeling your question is more toned to why I carry period. I don't carry to be a badass or anything of that sort. I'm fairly quiet and as normal looking as anyone. I've been mugged once in St. Petersburg and left for dead once in a parking lot Bradenton. Not a badass by any means. When seconds count, cops are only minutes away yada yada and all those other little quips. You'd be surprised how many people carry concealed for the same reasons I do and blend in with the crowds. Not paranoid or afraid to go anywhere within reason. Just prepared in the unlikely event I'm confronted with a true threat again. I felt very self conscious when I first carried in public after many fun trips to the range. Now it's no different than carrying a pocket knife. Just one more thing on my belt, pocket or waistband. It doesn't embolden me one bit. Plan A is still avoidance. Works very well. I hope to never have to resort to plan B. I DO NOT want to shoot anyone. I don't even like hunting. When they're about to pull the plug, I hope to be able to say, I didn't need to carry.

 

Jake, I don't know but I think your buddies might be pullin' your leg!

The bodies that fly in the cargo hold don't go through the metal detectors.)

 

Triton, I was hoping to hear a cool story - maybe something along the lines of bounty hunting or something.

 

Ah! I thought you were coming from the other angle. Not much excitement on our trip. Went sailing, ate an Ahi sandwich at the Marina, saw a couple of men walking hand in hand and quite a few scantily clad hippy chics. They're pretty casual out there.

 

its amazing how much that changes just a few miles north and east of seattle... well about 90 miles.. no hippies and no men walking hand in hand in down town darrington... but a lot of people walking around with guns in their pockets... the chicks around here buy those belts with fake bullets in them and pop out the fakes and stick their choice of ammunition in there lol..