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From: ganns@hound.UUCP (R.GANNS)
Newsgroups: net.music.folk
Subject: re flying with instruments
Message-ID: <1252@hound.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Jul-85 08:08:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: hound.1252
Posted: Mon Jul 15 08:08:06 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jul-85 05:09:08 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 29

I would think twice before ever checking an instrument through baggage
on an airline. On the only two occasions I ever did this, the cases
received significant damage (the instruments came through o.k.). These
were a fiddle and a banjo. The fiddle had to be checked because the
airplane was a funky little island-hopper. You don't have to be a
statistician to infer what the probability of damage is, at least by
my experience. The two incidents happened at different airlines at
different parts of the country. I have found that even the banjo will
fit in the overhead compartment inside the passenger compartment of
most airlines. This is a small size case--i.e., no resonator.

I don't believe it's possible to build a damage-proof container. I
heard a story (maybe apocryphal) about a man who had a very expensive
custom-made rifle. In anticipation of rough handling, he had a
heavy duty stainless steel case built for it. On the very first trip,
the baggage handlers CRUSHED one end of it. He was never able to figure
out how they did it, except by maybe using a forklift on it.

The more cynical among us speculate that baggage handlers look for a
challenge, but at any rate, they don't seem to be able to resist an
easy kill, and an expensive musical instrument is an simple target to
recognize.

If I were flying a lot and had to take an instrument and put it through
baggage, I would get the cheapest instrument I could find that was still
playable, and just figure on it having a very short life span.
If I were a professional who had to have the best, I would pay the extra
half-fare to put it in a seat next to me on the plane, and just consider
the cost as part of the business expenses.