This mirrors my own experience on flying in smaller planes. I have done most of my flying with my horn out of the Dayton airport and it nearly always requires a connecting flight to a bigger hub via a smaller plane, causing a little conflict with those that want me to check my horn.
When it comes to cases specifically, as has been mentioned in the thread, the case with the unzippable bell piece can make dealing with small planes a lot easier. I personally have not owned or travelled with such a case but a number of my colleagues have used them extensively and said that it allowed them to store part of under the seat and another part in the smaller overheard. Another thing to consider, though, is that when you do NOT have one of these cases, is that the flight crew can often accommodate your instrument in another ways. I have used empty seats and buckled my case down as if it were a passenger and also have had the crew place the case in the crew's closet in lieu of an empty seat. One of my former teachers once told me his default Yamaha cut-bell suitcase-style case was placed in between the pilots in the cockpit even. This is definetly easier said than done but calmly and courteously asking the attendant for this special request will end more favorably than angrily demanding. I will admit that on my first trip with my horn, I actually did check my horn under the bug squasher only if it was placed on top of the other luggage and would be strapped down so it didn't move. They assured the safety of my instrument despite honestly having no idea how they would handle it. When the plane landed my horn placed in the beastly Thompson Edition cut bell case(shameless plug) came out unscathed. Since then I have never had to check it under the plane. Feigning ignorance and surprise at the expected size of the overhead compartment for which your case was specifically designed as well as politely explaining the fragile, costly and sometimes irreparable nature of instruments has worked well for me in obtaining special accommodations for your horn on small planes. Interestingly enough, the smoothest time I have had was on a connecting flight from Malpensa to Catania, Italy on Alitalia in which the pilot himself helped me find a place for my horn and let the crew know to keep the drama down. One thing I haven't quite understood is why the attendants act like they have never seen an instrument on a plane before.(ZOMG HORNS ON A PLANE) Nearly whenever I fly, I see others walking around the airport with instruments so I would imagine it's more common than you think and thus would be a fairly frequent occurance for the flight attendants to handle. Nevertheless, their often appearant and visible annoyance or perceived crisis at my request for instrumental safety is why I insist on being calm and polite with requests because... they seem a little stressed out already. (Not that I would necessarily blame them based on how rude many of the passengers are to them) Chris ----- Original Message ---- From: Nicholas Hartman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: horn list <horn@music.memphis.edu> Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 6:48:04 PM Subject: [Hornlist] Is there a universal flight case? I just finished a day of travel headaches with Delta airlines. They had me on a tiny twin engine connection jet, and they tried their hardest to get me to check my Marcus Bonna MB5, but I told them that the case would fit, that it had been designed to fit on airplanes, and that I had done it all before with no problem. Skeptically, they let me board. The seats on the plane were set up so that there was a line of single window seats, then an isle, then a line of double seats, one on the isle, one by the window. My seat was one of the single window seats, and to my horror, my case, the case that I bought specifically to fit on these darn things, did not fit under those single seats! The only thing that saved my horn from the claws of the trained monkeys was the fact that it BARELY fit under the double seats, so when nobody was looking I snatched one of the roomier seats. The point of this lengthy anecdote is I was wondering if there is a better flight case than the MB5? I've heard that the MB3 clamshell style fits, even though it's not technically a flight case. I have to fly back in a couple of weeks, and I just hope that there is another open seat that I can sneak into. Oh, and they lost my luggage too. Not that I'm bitter or anything... Thanks for the help, Nick Hartman _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/tedesccj%40yahoo.com _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org