London Heathrow, any trouble with pony tanks with CCR?

I'll be flying throw EU and have a choice of LHR or FRA. Just wondering if anyone has had any trouble travelling with pony tanks in luggage as solo or part of a CCR?

Hey Drew,

In my experience they want you to pull the valves out so they can inspect them internally and to verify no problems with pressurization (!). If you do so they seem ok with them. they will ask if you have any!

Adam

So they'll make me unpack for inspection then repack? WAPITA! Or do they do it behind the scenes and mess up my packing? Thanks for the info.

If your bags are checked all the way through you should be fine. This will normally be the case if you are not actually leaving the airport, just passing through. If you leave the airport (and hence go through baggage reclaim), you will need to haul them out!

Adam

Unfortunately I will be in the UK for a few days for a wedding... sigh!

Drew, are you able to ship the bottles in advance and retrieve at your destination? It may alieviate some headaches, or not? You could always keep the tank valves with you assuming they are specialty valves? Having traveled with rebreathers (but not through LHR) the TSA has a form here in the USA that you can print off and pack with your cylinders and keep a copy with them and on your person that helps speed the inspection. And valves should not be in the tanks so they can view if needed. Many others here are shipping in advance to their destination along with scrubber materials.

I've carried 3litre and 2litre cylinders all over the world starting at London Heathrow. They like to see the valves open, that's all but be aware that now no bag can be more than 23kg in case out baggage handlers hurt themselves lifting more!

(if it's a Chinese wedding, will there be sharkfin soup?)