Finally, we made it home yesterday morning at 11am. I lasted about an hour before going to bed to catch up on sleep - I can't sleep on planes. Apart from a few hours yesterday evening I slept through to this morning.
We left our hotel in Christchurch at 11am on Wednesday so it took 2 days to return, except that New Zealand is 13 hours ahead so if you add that into the mix it actually took 2.5 days to return. It was a long way and most of that time was spent flying (over 25 hours) or hanging around at airports!
I don't understand why when you get off a plane for less than an hour while they clean and refill it you have to go through another security check, which means another hand-check of my film. On the whole trip the only place that would not do a hand-check of my film was London Heathrow. Sydney and New Zealand do checks both going in and out of the country, so that meant 6 hand-checks plus 2 at Hong Kong making 8 in total for my film.
I took 123 rolls with me from the UK, Ilford kindly had another 100 rolls delivered to my hotel in Sydney to avoid some of the possible x-ray scans. Of these, 195 were exposed and the remaining 28 rolls were unused; 99 rolls were processed in Wellington in New Zealand to avoid any possible x-ray damage on the return trip. I would have liked to have had another 80-odd rolls processed but the timings didn't work out.
Unfortunately, staff at the scanners think they know better than anyone what the effects of x-rays on film are. I know differently, having worked for Ilford for 21 years, including running the department that saw a lot of the customer enquiries after x-ray damage to their film, and I have seen x-ray fogging on my FP4 120 after just 3 passes through x-ray machines.
Now I'm wading through the 1648 emails that were waiting for me on my pc, about 80% were spam. I had kept up with most while away using my Blackberry but I have to go through the whole lot again once I return. We also shipped all the book orders today and revived my Amazon shop.
The builders have finished the work on the house. This included extending the gallery so most of today was spent putting things back and hanging pictures on the walls. It looks good now though. Just the computers to move back and it's pretty much sorted.
Showing posts with label x-rays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label x-rays. Show all posts
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Monday, 4 January 2010
Carrying Film in Hand Luggage to and Across the USA
I am travelling to the USA in a week or so and have been concerned about taking 200 rolls of Ilford FP4 in hand luggage after the recent Christmas Day terrorist incident on a plane bound for Detroit. Checking web sites and sending emails to airlines didn't help much so I wrote directly to the US Transport Security Agency to seek clarification. Here is their reply in full and below it my original email to them. It appears that the situation has not changed regarding availability of hand checks and taking film in carry-on luggage:
"Thank you for your request for information on the screening of photographic equipment and film at airport screening checkpoints. We encourage you to visit our website at www.tsa.gov for additional information about TSA. All travelers, and particularly those who travel infrequently, are encouraged to visit the section on travel tips before their trip. The website has information about prohibited and permitted items, the screening process and procedures, and guidance for special considerations that may assist in preparing for air travel. You can find these tips and more under the "Our Traveler" heading on the TSA website.
For your convenience, we are including the following information from our website about traveling with film.
The x-ray machines used to screen carry-on baggage at the passenger checkpoints should not damage film or equipment. However, the x-ray equipment used for screening checked baggage is more powerful and will damage your undeveloped film. You should remove all undeveloped film from your checked baggage and place it in your carry-on baggage.
At the passenger security checkpoint, you should remove the following types of film from your carry-on baggage and ask for a hand inspection:
• Film with an ASA/ISO 800 or higher
• Highly sensitive X-ray or scientific films
• Film of any speed which is subjected to X-ray surveillance more than 5 times (the effect of X-ray screening is cumulative)
• Film that is or will be underexposed
• Film that you intend to "push process"
• Sheet film
• Large format film
• Medical film
• Scientific film
• Motion picture film
• Professional grade film
You may request a hand-inspection of any undeveloped film. The X-ray machine at the passenger security checkpoint will not affect undeveloped film under ASA/ISO 800. However, multiple X-ray inspections (more than 5 times) of the same roll of undeveloped film may cause damage. The machines used to screen your checked baggage or carry-on baggage will not affect digital camera images or film that has already been processed, slides, photo compact discs, or picture discs.
Other Precautions
• If you plan to request a hand inspection of your film, you should consider carrying your film in clear canisters, or taking the film out of solid colored canisters and putting it into clear plastic bags, to expedite the screening process.
• If you are going to be traveling through multiple X-ray examinations with the same rolls of undeveloped film, you may want to request a hand-inspection of your film. However, non-U.S. airports may not honor this request.
• If you plan to hand-carry undeveloped film on an airplane at an international airport, contact the airport security office at that airport to request a manual inspection.
• Consider having your exposed film processed locally before passing through airport security on your return trip.
• We recommend that you do not place your film in lead-lined bags since the lead bag will have to be hand-inspected. If you have concerns about the impact of the X-ray machine on your undeveloped film, you can request a hand inspection.
• You may still consider bringing a lead-lined bag if you are traveling through airports in other countries as their policies may vary. Check with your airline or travel agent for more information on foreign airports.
Please keep in mind security screening at foreign airports is beyond TSA jurisdiction. Travelers must go through different clearance procedures when crossing international borders. Passengers and their baggage are also screened for security according to standards established by the Government of that country. As a sovereign entity, that country may establish its own security requirements for airports and air carriers that are not necessarily the same as those required in the United States.
We hope this information is helpful.
TSA Contact Center"
--- Original Message ---
From: "Dave Butcher"
Received: 12/29/09 2:24:03 PM EST
To: "TSA Contact Center"
Subject: Camera film in carry-on luggage
In the light of the recent tightening of security on air travel I would appreciate some advice concerning the carriage of camera film in hand luggage. It is unclear from searching recent web information what the situation is regarding film.
I am a photographer working exclusively in black and white and I use film for all of my work. It cannot go in hold luggage or it will be ruined by the x-rays (I have seen x-ray damage on the film that I use from hand luggage x-ray machines so more powerful x-rays, as used on hold luggage, will effectively destroy negatives). Will I be able to take factory wrapped rolls of Ilford 120 roll film onto the plane as hand luggage at JFK, and Denver? Will I be able to take exposed rolls of Ilford 120 roll film onto the plane as hand luggage?
When I have visited the USA previously I have always received good service from staff, who perform a hand search of my films. Film is always carried in clear polythene bags to assist them. Will I still be able to have hand searches of films on my forthcoming trip?
Please advise. Thanks.
Kind regards,
Dave Butcher
"Thank you for your request for information on the screening of photographic equipment and film at airport screening checkpoints. We encourage you to visit our website at www.tsa.gov for additional information about TSA. All travelers, and particularly those who travel infrequently, are encouraged to visit the section on travel tips before their trip. The website has information about prohibited and permitted items, the screening process and procedures, and guidance for special considerations that may assist in preparing for air travel. You can find these tips and more under the "Our Traveler" heading on the TSA website.
For your convenience, we are including the following information from our website about traveling with film.
The x-ray machines used to screen carry-on baggage at the passenger checkpoints should not damage film or equipment. However, the x-ray equipment used for screening checked baggage is more powerful and will damage your undeveloped film. You should remove all undeveloped film from your checked baggage and place it in your carry-on baggage.
At the passenger security checkpoint, you should remove the following types of film from your carry-on baggage and ask for a hand inspection:
• Film with an ASA/ISO 800 or higher
• Highly sensitive X-ray or scientific films
• Film of any speed which is subjected to X-ray surveillance more than 5 times (the effect of X-ray screening is cumulative)
• Film that is or will be underexposed
• Film that you intend to "push process"
• Sheet film
• Large format film
• Medical film
• Scientific film
• Motion picture film
• Professional grade film
You may request a hand-inspection of any undeveloped film. The X-ray machine at the passenger security checkpoint will not affect undeveloped film under ASA/ISO 800. However, multiple X-ray inspections (more than 5 times) of the same roll of undeveloped film may cause damage. The machines used to screen your checked baggage or carry-on baggage will not affect digital camera images or film that has already been processed, slides, photo compact discs, or picture discs.
Other Precautions
• If you plan to request a hand inspection of your film, you should consider carrying your film in clear canisters, or taking the film out of solid colored canisters and putting it into clear plastic bags, to expedite the screening process.
• If you are going to be traveling through multiple X-ray examinations with the same rolls of undeveloped film, you may want to request a hand-inspection of your film. However, non-U.S. airports may not honor this request.
• If you plan to hand-carry undeveloped film on an airplane at an international airport, contact the airport security office at that airport to request a manual inspection.
• Consider having your exposed film processed locally before passing through airport security on your return trip.
• We recommend that you do not place your film in lead-lined bags since the lead bag will have to be hand-inspected. If you have concerns about the impact of the X-ray machine on your undeveloped film, you can request a hand inspection.
• You may still consider bringing a lead-lined bag if you are traveling through airports in other countries as their policies may vary. Check with your airline or travel agent for more information on foreign airports.
Please keep in mind security screening at foreign airports is beyond TSA jurisdiction. Travelers must go through different clearance procedures when crossing international borders. Passengers and their baggage are also screened for security according to standards established by the Government of that country. As a sovereign entity, that country may establish its own security requirements for airports and air carriers that are not necessarily the same as those required in the United States.
We hope this information is helpful.
TSA Contact Center"
--- Original Message ---
From: "Dave Butcher"
Received: 12/29/09 2:24:03 PM EST
To: "TSA Contact Center"
Subject: Camera film in carry-on luggage
In the light of the recent tightening of security on air travel I would appreciate some advice concerning the carriage of camera film in hand luggage. It is unclear from searching recent web information what the situation is regarding film.
I am a photographer working exclusively in black and white and I use film for all of my work. It cannot go in hold luggage or it will be ruined by the x-rays (I have seen x-ray damage on the film that I use from hand luggage x-ray machines so more powerful x-rays, as used on hold luggage, will effectively destroy negatives). Will I be able to take factory wrapped rolls of Ilford 120 roll film onto the plane as hand luggage at JFK, and Denver? Will I be able to take exposed rolls of Ilford 120 roll film onto the plane as hand luggage?
When I have visited the USA previously I have always received good service from staff, who perform a hand search of my films. Film is always carried in clear polythene bags to assist them. Will I still be able to have hand searches of films on my forthcoming trip?
Please advise. Thanks.
Kind regards,
Dave Butcher
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