Flying with a fountain pen

[Nick D]

I take flight tomorrow for graduate school, and I've been going back and forth about wheather or not to take my fountain pen. It's not a matter of what to do with it in an airplane, I know that, what I'm wondering is, can I take it on the plane in my carry-on? I'm not risking it to my other luggage. I've never had a problem before, but a lifetime in the Scouts has taught me to be prepared, so if I take it at all it's going to be in my carryon at all times. Has anyone flown with a fountain pen and had trouble with airport security?

Cheers,
Nick

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I take flight tomorrow for graduate school, and I've been going back and forth about wheather or not to take my fountain pen. It's not a matter of what to do with it in an airplane, I know that, what I'm wondering is, can I take it on the plane in my carry-on? I'm not risking it to my other luggage. I've never had a problem before, but a lifetime in the Scouts has taught me to be prepared, so if I take it at all it's going to be in my carryon at all times. Has anyone flown with a fountain pen and had trouble with airport security?

Cheers,
Nick

these threads should help:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=15058

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=18061

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=10801&page=7

In your case, you are -relocating- correct? I would bring the pen/pens with you dry and just buy ink on the other side....

 

[Spitfire]

Security - I don't know.
But always empty the fountainpen before flight - or it will empty itself in your pocket or lugage. Not nice:eusa_doh:

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Security - I don't know.
But always empty the fountainpen before flight - or it will empty itself in your pocket or lugage. Not nice:eusa_doh:

Not true....if the pen is either -all- full or all empty you are fine.

A ziplock bag merely provides a secondary protection level...since your suit might be worth more then your pen.....then again...depends on the pen...

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I take my fountain pen with me all of the time. I write with it on the plane. I have never had an issue with it leaking and I have never bothered to fill it. I have read these things before, but it has been a non-issue for me so far. [huh]

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I've carried the same Mont Blance for some 24 years, and never had a problem with inflight (in a pressurized cabin!). It is correct that it is the expanding air withing bladder or cartridge which pushed the ink out. If the bladder/cartridge is full, there is no air pressure to push ink. If the bladder/cartridge is partially full, one can give it a squeeze which reduces the amount of air within - as that expands with altitude, the bladder/cartridge expands commensurately back to a more normal pressure.

Most all modern airliners pressurize the passenger cabin to approximately ten thousand feet. (That's that bell you hear go off just after take off as the airplane climbs out away from the airport!). Ten thousand feet from a slow climb doesn't seem to effect my Mont Blanc at all - never had a pressure leak.

On the other hand, in an unpressurized cabin, a rapid climb to higher altitudes (ie, lower air pressure) may well push ink out of the bladder/cartridge just as if you were squeezing ink out with your own fingers. This is why many time in your luggage, your moisturizer and shampoo have squished out all over your clothes (unpressurized baggage compartment - too much air in the squeeze bottle!)

-dixon cannon

 

[FedoraGent]

I fly with mine...

Folks,

I've been flying with mine for the last 6 months and never had a problem.

FG.

 

[Spitfire]

My experience was with a fountainpen (Mont Blanc) in my luggage. And not even that, the pen was also in the inside pocket of my new light jacket.
Luggagerooms, high altitude and fountaipens are a bad combination

 

[FedoraGent]

Carry on...

In my case, I always carried the pens in my carry on. In fact I did it last week.

FG.

My experience was with a fountainpen (Mont Blanc) in my luggage. And not even that, the pen was also in the inside pocket of my new light jacket.
Luggagerooms, high altitude and fountaipens are a bad combination

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I don't think the baggage compartment is pressurized.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I don't think the baggage compartment is pressurized.

Hi HJ; At least one baggage compartment (or bin, or pit, as they're called!) is pressurized for the carriage of live animals - dogs, cats, or pet store stock.

Had an old friend at Hughes Airwest that got locked in the pit on a DC-9 LAX-LasVegas. Arrived in Vegas safe and sound, with all the connecting bags stacked in order and began offloading bags in Vegas when they opened the cargo door and shockingly found him none-the-worse for wear and ready to work.

(Unfortunately, he was in his uniform so the flight back to LAX required he ride in the pit again, per company policy. (No! Not really!) lol

-dixon cannon

 

[Andykev]

Not totally

I don't think the baggage compartment is pressurized.

One section is...the one where you put your poodle or cat

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I certainly hope so. I didn't think of that. That is why I'd never fly with a furry friend, unless I had to.

 

[Twitch]

You get some change due to altitude alone in the luggage. A pen may or may not leak. Everything of a liquid nature expands and contracts. A plastic bottle of Visine will release pressure after a trip when you crack open the cap. If the cap was loose the liquid would have escaped under pressure.

 

[Ecuador Jim]

A couple of corrections...

I've had mixed results with fountain pens on aircraft. My Mont Blanc was rock solid and had no problems. A cheap calligraphy pen leaked all over the case it was in.

It's my understanding that aircraft cabins are pressurized to an altitude of 7000 feet(FAA regulations would require all passengers be on bottled oxygen at/above 10,000 feet). Good news is that the new Boeing Dreamliner can pressurize closer to 4000 feet, but it will be awhile before you can enjoy that.

Anyway, the problem is that the air in any container will expand as the pressure outside the container drops (liquids can't be compressed, which is why hydraulics work). Depending on the ink/air mixture in your cartridge or pen bladder, you may have a problem.

I teach SCUBA classes, and I know Pelican and Otter make cases for dive computers, lighters, etc. that keep them pressurized at whatever altitude you pack them at; you might be able to find a size that works for your pens.

 

[Hamsterjeep]

Misconceptions....

Hi HJ; At least one baggage compartment (or bin, or pit, as they're called!) is pressurized for the carriage of live animals - dogs, cats, or pet store stock.

Had an old friend at Hughes Airwest that got locked in the pit on a DC-9 LAX-LasVegas. Arrived in Vegas safe and sound, with all the connecting bags stacked in order and began offloading bags in Vegas when they opened the cargo door and shockingly found him none-the-worse for wear and ready to work.

(Unfortunately, he was in his uniform so the flight back to LAX required he ride in the pit again, per company policy. (No! Not really!) lol

-dixon cannon

All baggage compt.'s on modern jets are pressurized. Everything from the cockpit to the aft pressure bulkhead. What isn't done is HEAT all baggage pits, (depending on type of aircraft) so it's possible to freeze in there. Your Hughes Airwest friend got lucky, as LAX to Las Vegas is a short hop, probably below 20K feet. Cargo heat can fail, be on placard as inop, or just turned off by the pilot. Still, I wouldn't want to ride in a baggage pit...
The risk is that if there should be an emergency, loss of cabin pressurization, there is no provision for oxygen in the pit, no emergency bottle, no "drop down" mask. Those items in the cabin are designed to support you until the pilot makes an emergency decent to 10,000 feet, nothing more. Last month at SFO there was a UAL 747 from China that had a man stow away in the nose landing gear wheel well. If the tire didn't crush him upon retraction, he most certainly died from lack of oxygen, then literally froze solid being exposed to -40 to-60 degrees temps for hours. Either way, he was quite dead and rock solid on the ramp at the Int'l Terminal.
Oh My!

 

[French]

fountain pens and air travel

Hi,

this is my first post here, but I've been a member of the Fountain Pen Network (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com) for a couple of years, and I fly a lot due to my job.

I have only taken my modern pens with me on flights. I've heard a lot of what has been written here, the pen should be full or empty, should be stored in your pocket, nib up etc. What has worked for me is keeping a modern pen in my pocket, nib up during ascent and descent. At cruising altitude, I've used my pens without any problem.

I have heard that all modern feeds (the part that wicks the ink from the ink reservoir to the nib) are sufficient to prevent 'ink burps' during flight, but vintage pen feeds may not have this capacity. The Parker "51" aerometric pen, I believe was designed with a feature to allow it not to leak in flight. I've flown with a "51" and it did well on the flight, but I'm concerned about an over zealous TSA agent deciding to confiscate a pen that would be difficult to replace.

As far as airport security goes, I usually put my pens in my carry-on and let them go through the x-ray. I haven't tried going through the metal detector with them in my pocket. So far, I have had no issues on any of the flights I've taken this year (about 30).

I'm sorry for the late reply to this thread, I only found this forum this week. To keep it somewhat hat related, I'm off to DelMonico Hatters in New Haven, CT to get my first 'real' hat today. I tried the Burlington Coat Factory as I saw in the Hats forum, but all they had were summer weight straw hats. I may go back and pick one up for next summer, the price was right, about $8.

thanks,
French
ps. here are a couple of links to where I got some of the information I've listed.

info on modern feeds being OK for airtravel:
http://www.bertramsinkwell.com

general pen information:
http://www.richardspens.com

I have no financial interest in either of these organizations, I'm just a guy who has traded some of my hard earned cash for pens with each of these vendors.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Welcome French.

quite a few of us also lurk or post over at FPN as well.......addictive place...makes you spend money....


Yea...these days I would be more worried about the pen having to be taken away or put in checked luggage (where it will leak)....more then it leaking in flight...

 

[Mid-fogey]

I can only speak...

...from personal experience. I fly 10 to 20 time a year and I've been taking a fountain pen for over 20 years. Never a problem. Security has never been an issue. The only thing I've ever been questioned on is my travelling ink well. I usually put my pen in my bag to go through security and take it out after.

I've never had a leak, but if you are concerned, put the pen in a breast pocket and keep the point up. That way, if there is pressure, it isn't pushing to the point.

If you take an regular bottle of ink, you may want to put it in a zip lock bag.

 

[RondoHatton]

http://www.vintagepens.com/FAQbasics/FAQbasics.htm

From: David Nishimura Vintage Pens:
http://www.vintagepens.com/FAQbasics/FAQbasics.htm
What about flying with my pen?

Conventional wisdom is that you should either empty your pen completely before flying, or keep it completely full and carry it always nib up. Filling a pen minimizes the volume of air left in the ink chamber, air that can expand and force ink out the nib in the event of changes in temperature or outside air pressure. Blotting the nib and feed with a tissue right before takeoff will also help by removing ink from the feed channel, where it could be expelled by the expanding air in the ink chamber.

Paradoxically, we have found that earlier pens with very simple feeds are among the best to fly with. Fins and other devices that retain ink in the feed sometimes backfire here, preventing the feed channel from being completely cleared of ink before takeoff.

We have found breather tubes similarly ineffective at preventing leakage during flight. Protruding down into the ink, they instead seem to insure that there is a pressure relief channel full of ink no matter how well you blot the nib and feed.

Conclusion: follow the conventional wisdom, but uncap your pen and watch it carefully with tissue in hand until the plane reaches cruising altitude if you want to play it safe.