Lifejackets on a plane!

[Bi111ion]

I have a standard Seago CO2 inflated lifejacket and BA are happy to carry it in checked luggage but they want the total mass of the gas and the pressure. I phoned Seago and they said they didnt know, they just bought them from Japan (and its the same as other life jacket manufacturers)

Any ideas how to get this information? Perhaps it says it on the rearming kits? Anyone know the manufacturer.

 

[Skipper_Christoph]

Standard CO2 cartridges contain 16 g of CO2
Don't know about the pressure

 

[dizzydi]

Give some like the Marine Superstore a call or another large shop aswheneverI have caled shops with questions they have always been really helpful.

It is something you would have thought they would know

 

[Bi111ion]

I phoned Rodney at Shipshape Marine in Stockport (where I bought the rearming kit) and he said they have 33g of gas in them and the pressure is 1.5 bar. Lets see how that goes. Actually I don't really need to take my own lifejacket, the boat I am sailing on has perfectly serviceable ones. For some reason I just became determined to overcome the bureaucracy. I keep thinking, for goodness sake there is a lifejacket under every seat, it should not be too hard. But also you can't just let people take pressurised gas on a plane willy-nilly.

 

[Bi111ion]

A bit surprised that I could only talk to a sales person at Seago, and they had no technical support. We trust our lives to these people with our lifejackets and rafts and I am very picky who I use to service them. Confidence a little bit shaken ...but I suppose they are the budget end of the market?

 

[captainboo]

. For some reason I just became determined to overcome the bureaucracy. I keep thinking, for goodness sake there is a lifejacket under every seat, it should not be too hard. But also you can't just let people take pressurised gas on a plane willy-nilly.

Unfortunately it is not just bureaucracy, it is the regulations that the airlines have to abide by to prevent what may seem to be fairly innocuous to us being Dangerous Goods on a plane. Yes there is one under every seat but they are part of the aircraft fit and authorised to be there. The aircraft will have many items on it that are perfectly acceptable when in the correct stowage but can be forbidden if carried separately - batteries/gas canisters etc.

They are asking the weight/pressure etc. as it will be acceptable if below a certain size - so they might say no if they are 33g!

From the Dangerous Goods Regulations:

2.3.4.2.1 Small cartridges fitted into a self-inflating safety device such as a life-jacket or vest:
(a) no more than one personal safety device per person;
(b) the personal safety device must be packed in such a manner that it cannot be accidently activated;
(c) limited to carbon dioxide or other suitable gas in Division 2.2 without a subsidiary risk;
(d) cartridge(s) must be for inflation purposes;
(e) the device must be fitted with no more than two small cartridges; and
(f) not more than two spare cartridges.
2.3.4.2.2 Other devices:
(a) no more than four small cartridges of carbon dioxide or other suitable gas in Division 2.2 without a subsidiary risk, per person;
(b) the water capacity of each cartridge must not exceed 50 mL.
Note:
For carbon dioxide a gas cartridge with a water capacity of 50 mL is equivalent to a 28 g cartridge

 

[Bi111ion]

Unfortunately it is not just bureaucracy,......
(b) the water capacity of each cartridge must not exceed 50 mL.
Note:
For carbon dioxide a gas cartridge with a water capacity of 50 mL is equivalent to a 28 g cartridge

Thanks. So it is finding out so I will post what their reply is. If so it would be useful for people to know to buy jackets with smaller cylinders if they need to take it with them on a plane. I thought 33g was the standard for an adult life jacket.

 

[mikehibb]

Spinlock are very helpful

https://www.spinlock.co.uk/en-us/deckware/flying-with-your-deckvest
They even have a downloadable letter to take with you.

Last time I flew Turkish Airlines they did not seam unduly concerned at all.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Most airlines do not give any hassle about Lifejackets in the hold. If in doubt it is simple enough to remove the cylinder from the jacket and then buy one from a chandler when you arrive at your destination.

 

[langstonelayabout]

We've flown BA & Monarch on a few occasions with our Spinlock Deckvests (and a spare canister each) in our checked luggage.

We didn't volunteer any information about our lifejackets being in the bags having made sure flying with them checked was legal. No-one said anything, there were no problems.

The less you say the better. I'm sure the letter from Spinlock will just give a airline representative that knows little the opportunity to say no.

 

[Daverw]

We flew with tui 2 years ago, first security stopped us as he was not sure, had the letter from RYA and he called over the supervisor who new all about and said we had to split the two life jackets between us both as only 1 per person and carried in hand luggage

 

[john_morris_uk]

I flew with Loganair and BA last week with a lifejacket in my hold baggage. I was called by tannoy announcement to ‘Baggage Reconciliation Area’. They’d spotted the lifejacket on their X-Ray. They wanted me to open my bag so they could see the lifejacket. As soon as the security man saw the lifejacket and felt the cylinder through the fabric he wasn’t interested any more. This was in Kirkwall, Orkney flying to LHR via Aberdeen.

 

[Bi111ion]

I flew with Loganair and BA last week with a lifejacket in my hold baggage. I was called by tannoy announcement to ‘Baggage Reconciliation Area’. They’d spotted the lifejacket on their X-Ray. They wanted me to open my bag so they could see the lifejacket. As soon as the security man saw the lifejacket and felt the cylinder through the fabric he wasn’t interested any more. This was in Kirkwall, Orkney flying to LHR via Aberdeen.

We flew with tui 2 years ago, first security stopped us as he was not sure, had the letter from RYA and he called over the supervisor who new all about and said we had to split the two life jackets between us both as only 1 per person and carried in hand luggage

Thanks. Looked on the RYA website and found this http://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge-advice/boating-abroad/Pages/flying-with-lifejackets.aspx but where did you get the letter please?

 

[Daverw]

We printed off the RYA guidance which seemed more than currently shown and also info from CAA

 

[Bi111ion]

I just got an email from Seago's Technical Director (confidence restored!)

He said they comply with ISO 12402-7 which specifies minimum burst pressure etc. (I found a copy here http://www.inmetro.gov.br/barreirastecnicas/pontofocal/..\pontofocal\textos\regulamentos\SAU_451.pdf)

 

[William_H]

I phoned Rodney at Shipshape Marine in Stockport (where I bought the rearming kit) and he said they have 33g of gas in them and the pressure is 1.5 bar. Lets see how that goes. Actually I don't really need to take my own lifejacket, the boat I am sailing on has perfectly serviceable ones. For some reason I just became determined to overcome the bureaucracy. I keep thinking, for goodness sake there is a lifejacket under every seat, it should not be too hard. But also you can't just let people take pressurised gas on a plane willy-nilly.

I think the 1.5 Bar pressure is a mistake given that 1Bar is roughly atmospheric pressure. or 100 000pascals. We note the test pressure for the cylinder is at least 10300 Kpascals or 103Bar we might assume actual gas pressure around 80 Bar although if you think in terms of 50cc of gas to fill a LJ which might be 10 litres the gas must expand 200 times to end with a pressure of several Bar one might guess at a cylinder pressure of 500Bar . I must have some maths wrong here but certainly more than 1.5 Bar. olewill

 

[Bi111ion]

I think the 1.5 Bar pressure is a mistake given that 1Bar is roughly atmospheric pressure. or 100 000pascals. We note the test pressure for the cylinder is at least 10300 Kpascals or 103Bar we might assume actual gas pressure around 80 Bar

Thanks I thought the same. I will ask Rodney to look on the packet again and see what it says.

Here is an advert for a 33g cylinder saying pressure is 45MPa but that is 450 Bar http://www.zegmarine.com/lifejacket...t ,Life Jacket CO2 Cylinder, 33g CO2 Cylinder

Here is another advert saying the maximum pressure is 66 MPa but the inside pressure is 5.5 MPa (55 Bar) http://www.maritimesafetyequipment....r-inflatable-life-jacket-with-1-2-thread.html

 

[MM5AHO]

I was about to say the same as Olewill, that 1.5 bar must be wrong, and that it'd be more like 500 bar. But others have found that more definitively.