Lithiums verbotten on aircraft......

Saiga

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 12, 2007
Messages
343
Location
Georgia, C.S.A.
I've noticed numerous threads that deal with possible problems flying with our lights, most experiences (mine included) seem to indicate there's no problem whatsoever.
But....i just got a package delivered a few minutes ago, two 12 packs of surefire 123's, and there's i big giant sticker covering one side of the box that says in large red letters " PRIMARY LITHIUM BATTERIES- FORBIDDEN FOR TRANSPORT ABOARD PASSENGER AIRCRAFT".
hhmm, who knew ?
 

greenLED

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
13,263
Location
La Tiquicia
That's because you received a *commercial shipment* of 123's. That doesn't apply to the batts you carry when you board a plane.
 

DanielG

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
250
Packs of batteries are forbidden.

Two/four that you have in your lights is no problem.
 

GadgetTravel

Enlightened
Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
642
Packs of batteries are forbidden.

Two/four that you have in your lights is no problem.

I havent had any problems with Surefire SCs loaded with batteries either, although I dont always carry one. I almost always have at least a couple and often 4-6 spares in plastic wrap also. No problems.
 

ttran97

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 12, 2002
Messages
1,212
Location
California
I've checked a few boxes of SF 123s onto planes and never had problems flying before, internationally or domestic. Sometimes I have batteries in my carry-on too. No problems there either.
 

DM51

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Messages
13,338
Location
Borg cube #51
The official limit for air travel is 8 grams of metallic Lithium.

As there is no metallic lithium in Li-Ion cells, the limit is defined in "equivalent lithium content", which is calculated as 0.3x the rated capacity in Ah (a strange and arbitrary way to calculate it, but that's officialdom for you).

A single 2.2Ah 18650 cell would therefore be said to contain 0.66 grams of "equivalent lithium content" (0.72 grams for a 2.4Ah cell). The official limit would therefore be 12x 2.2Ah 18650s. Surprise surprise, that works out at what you have in a typical laptop computer battery.

In practice, the limits are rarely enforced (thank goodness). It is unlikely that you will be challenged, or have cells confiscated, if they are securely and sensibly packed.
 

Marduke

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 19, 2007
Messages
10,110
Location
Huntsville, AL
The official limit for air travel is 8 grams of metallic Lithium.

As there is no metallic lithium in Li-Ion cells, the limit is defined in "equivalent lithium content", which is calculated as 0.3x the rated capacity in Ah (a strange and arbitrary way to calculate it, but that's officialdom for you).

A single 2.2Ah 18650 cell would therefore be said to contain 0.66 grams of "equivalent lithium content" (0.72 grams for a 2.4Ah cell). The official limit would therefore be 12x 2.2Ah 18650s. Surprise surprise, that works out at what you have in a typical laptop computer battery.

In practice, the limits are rarely enforced (thank goodness). It is unlikely that you will be challenged, or have cells confiscated, if they are securely and sensibly packed.

Learn something new every day.
 

saeckereier

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 22, 2007
Messages
138
If you are going to use german in the thread title, you might as well remove one of the t's in verbotten :) I mean if you're going to do it, do it right..

Well if you carry them onboard in typical quantities, it shouldn't be a problem, I have done so myself various times this year. I think if they had been banned, they would have been banned here as well, and no one ever mentioned anything.
 

saeckereier

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 22, 2007
Messages
138
The official limit for air travel is 8 grams of metallic Lithium.

As there is no metallic lithium in Li-Ion cells, the limit is defined in "equivalent lithium content", which is calculated as 0.3x the rated capacity in Ah (a strange and arbitrary way to calculate it, but that's officialdom for you).

A single 2.2Ah 18650 cell would therefore be said to contain 0.66 grams of "equivalent lithium content" (0.72 grams for a 2.4Ah cell). The official limit would therefore be 12x 2.2Ah 18650s. Surprise surprise, that works out at what you have in a typical laptop computer battery.

In practice, the limits are rarely enforced (thank goodness). It is unlikely that you will be challenged, or have cells confiscated, if they are securely and sensibly packed.
How about primaries?
 

greenLED

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
13,263
Location
La Tiquicia
Primaries have around 1300mAh - based on that and DM51's estimates, 20x123 wouldn't be unreasonable to carry.
 
Last edited:

DM51

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Messages
13,338
Location
Borg cube #51
I'll try and find out about that, but I think the calculation is different for primaries - which is what the OP was asking about, so my apologies for being off topic.
 
Last edited:

RAF_Groundcrew

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 30, 2005
Messages
502
Location
St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Forbidden for carriage on passenger aircraft when carried as cargo in the hold.

A small fire in your carry on bag can be dealt with easily, and will be quickly spotted. A lithium fire in the hold under the floor, when you (and 200 other people) are over the Atlantic is undesireable.......

One thing that worries me about hold luggage is those self igniting gas powered hair tools that women use. They are an ignition source looking for an excuse!
 

DM51

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Messages
13,338
Location
Borg cube #51
I can't remember where I got the info on the Li-Ion regulations. I copy/pasted/edited it into an MSWord doc so I could take a copy with me when travelling to show the airport people if they started making an issue of it.

I didn't make a copy of the rules for primaries, but I do remember they are different.

I just googled 'lithium+batteries+aircraft' and there were hundreds of hits. The first one I clicked on was a pdf file which hung up my computer (helpful).

Over to you guys - I'm sure the info is there (or maybe someone here knows it already).
 

RAF_Groundcrew

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 30, 2005
Messages
502
Location
St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom.
That was my impression as well, thus my emphasis on commercial shipments when I posted earlier. Still wondering about the limit on how many you could carry with you.
I recall a working trip I made to the USA, (Idaho, I think), where I had about 60 PAnasonic Lithiums in their individual 'candy wrappers' in a freezer bag. Military flight, so less scrutiny, but 60 Lithiums, almost loose in a bag !
 

meuge

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 13, 2007
Messages
613
I can't remember where I got the info on the Li-Ion regulations. I copy/pasted/edited it into an MSWord doc so I could take a copy with me when travelling to show the airport people if they started making an issue of it.

Nothing will get you strip-searched and added to a terrorist watch-list faster than trying to be smart with the ex-convict high-school dropouts at the TSA. They know only one thing - how to exert their (claimed) absolute authority.

Granted, it seems as if the makeup of the TSA and their treatment of people has improved in the last year, around half of the JFK's TSA employees are still ex-convicts (got the info from a valid source).
 
Top