Flying With A Filled Pen And Visconti Inkpots / Inkwells

[PaperQueen]

There are oodles of threads about this, but most are years old, so...here's my experience from the past two weeks:

 

Filled TWSBI 580

 

Domestic TSA (MSP):

No problems; pretty obvious the pen held less than 3 oz. of liquid.

 

Domestic flight (JFK > MSP):

No problems, even though the pen laid on its side the entire flight, in the small overhead compartment. No leaks, no worries.

 

International security (Dublin and Glasgow):

No problems; same as domestic U.S. TSA.

Side note: You go through x-ray security twice in Dublin, due to U.S. Preclearance. No questions either time.

 

International flight (Dublin > JFK,):

No problems at all; kept the pen nib-up the entire time (expect for when in use---only wrote with it after we reached altitude).

 

 

Filled Visconti Traveling Inkpots

Ditto to all of the above. :::whew!:::

 

 

To be on the safe side, I slipped the TWSBI into a snack size ziplock baggie before traveling. I'm not crazy, after all.

 

Pretty sure keeping the pen nib-up is a wise precaution, no matter what. Am also fairly certain the reason this pen traveled so well while inked is due to the fact it was initially filled using one of the Visconti inkpots (think: vacuum = no excess air to "burp" out).

 

Just my two cents to share with anyone looking for recent feedback. Safe travels!

 

 

[ggrosjean]

I fly with a loaded pen roll, usually 10 pens in my brief case and at least one bottle of ink (in a ziplock) in my suit case. Have never had an issue of any kind.

[AD64]

I just discovered that the Fountain Pen Hospital carries the Visconti traveling inkpot for a very good price, for $59 plus shipping, lower than anything I've seen at the auction house.

[lapis]

Just to repeat as well, I've always had 1-2 pens filled anywhere between little and lots, always clipped into my breast pocket while sitting or in my vest or jacket which are lying down above me in the cupboard -- plus -- 1-2 15-ml Nalgenes bottle filled, in my pants pockets. No further bags/sacs/protection.

Never yet had any problem anywhere, even during check-ups.

 

Mike

[randomist]

What's the actual pressure variation in an aircraft cabin during a flight? I can imagine problems in the hold, but short of cabin decompression I'd think hand luggage would be fairly safe.

[lapis]

The actual pressure during a flight (up to 30,000 feet above sea level) is usually 0.75 bars (atmospheres). That very slight vacuum however isn't "strong" enough to suck any ink out of a pen or ink container. As you say, luggage (around you or in the cargo dpartment) remains safe... at least for any FPN nuts.

 

Mike

[Ileach]

What's the actual pressure variation in an aircraft cabin during a flight? I can imagine problems in the hold, but short of cabin decompression I'd think hand luggage would be fairly safe.

 

About 0.2 to 0.25 bar, that's the amount you have on a 2,000 to 2,500 meters high mountain.

 

@lapis 0.75 bars would leave 90% pf passengers with ripped drumheads. 1 bar is the change you have in a height of 10,000 meters (30,000 ft) without pressurized cabin. Or in 10 meters under water. A change of 0.2 bars is usually enough to damage the drumheads if you do not perform pressure equalisation.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Ileach

[deacondavid]

I just returned from a trip to London. I took a Visconti Traveling inkpot, a trio of Pilot Vanishing Points, a TWSBI Vac Mini and a Pilot Custom 823. I had no issues with TSA, leakage or writing on the flight (I used a Vanishing Point both on the way there and back). It figures that the pen that had the ink in the Traveling Ink Pot was not the one that ran out of ink. Maybe I need a second one...

[pepsiplease69]

Useless fact:

 

I just drove from SF to LA and back last weekend, going on the I-5. I believe we get up to a 3,000 feet altitude.

 

All the pens which I stored nib up, turned out to be fine.

 

The dollar pen I had partially filled and had accidentally stored on its side in my luggage, dribbled a lot of ink into the cap but not beyond that.

[AD64]

It's all data; I'll take it all.