Air Travel With Your IR Imager
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Tip written by: Infraspection Institute
While a thermographer is the most important part of any infrared inspection, no thermographer can get very far without a working imager. This week’s Tip includes some time-tested suggestions to ease air travel with an infrared imager.
Few experiences are more frustrating than traveling to a distant jobsite and discovering that your infrared equipment has been either delayed or damaged in transit. Such experiences can result in project delays or costly repairs.
When traveling by air, hand carrying your imager is the best way to help ensure that it will arrive with you and in good working order. Fortunately, most modern infrared imagers are sufficiently small to be treated as carry-on luggage. When hand carrying your imager on aircraft, keep the following in mind:
- Ensure that your imager’s carrying case does not exceed maximum size for carry-on luggage
- Be certain that your imager case does not contain prohibited items such as tools or pocketknives
- Ascertain the number of carry-on items that your chosen airline allows
- Expect potential delays when passing through security checkpoints due to additional screening
- Request security personnel take extra care when performing manual searches of your equipment or its cases
Lastly, be certain to check Customs regulations when traveling internationally. Many countries restrict the import/export of infrared equipment; others may require that an independent customs agent be hired to get expensive test equipment in/out of the subject country.
