This summer I am traveling to GA from IA by air. I have made this trip several times a year by car with a firearm but this is the first time by air. I will be traveling with my wife and children so there is a need to cut out the drive time. I have flown before with a firearm but it has been a few years. I am concerned that this will be an issue that will cause problems. My permit is valid in both the departure and arrival states and shouldnt be an issue. Maybe its that I am giving up some control that is causing me an issue. Is there anything that I should be worrying about or just suck it up and go without a gun?

I traveled by air with a gun and never had any major issues and I leave out of BWI in MD often. Read and print the airline rules and follow them and TSA and you should be fine.

I had one airline make me remove the ammo from the case the gun was in. It was their policy. Whatever no real issue I took the box of ammo out and let it lose in my bag. Gun in locked case inside bag. Besides that no real problems.

maybe its not the air travel that bothers me so much as it is the being in a strange place with someone else in control. Like being in someone elses pond. I know I am allowed to be there but what if something goes wrong type of thing

The only thing I have heard, unsubstatiated, is that Delta is now putting zip ties on the bag and require you to pick it up from the luggage office not the regular carousel. If you're flying Delta, take some nippers in your carry on (check TSA rules to be sure it is small enough to be legal for that) so you can clip the zip tie off at your destination.

Just be sure you understand all the local laws especially regarding airports. Some airports are illegal to carry concealed due to state or local laws.

Other than those 2 items you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Just read and print out the airline website and TSA website on checking a gun.

No big deal. Like comet said - know the federal (FAA/TSA rules) and the rules of your carrier. For the most part, they mirror FAA/TSA exactly. There have been notable exceptions, however.

For example - I was stuck flying AirTran once and they prohibited ammo from being flown in the same bag as the firearm. Fortunately, I figured this out before hand and we put the ammo in Mrs.BurtonRW's bag.

Not sure exceptions like that exist any more, but that's why it pays to know both sets of rules.

Don't be afraid to ask for a supervisor if you get a snowflake at the counter.

Remember - absolutely no curbside or other non-counter check-in.

Don't give up the key to the locked case.

I'm sure there are other little tidbits of information I could throw out there, but really - it's not difficult.

-Rob

Flying with a firearm is quite easy. Some of the items below are a repeat from others posts, but:

1) arrive at the ticket counter with your checked bag an hour earlier than usual to be safe,

a) sometimes the gate agent has told me to wait before going through the TSA check to ensure TSA did not have any questions.

2) print a copy of the airlines rules, highlight the pertinent sections, and have it handy.

3) print a copy of the TSA rules, highlight the pertinent sections, and have it handy.