raym0016,
You shouldn't have any problems as long as you pack that knife in your checked-in luggage. For carrying on planes, FAA regulations require a blade length that is under 4" and without any serrations. But be aware that individual airports have their own policies that are often stricter. A good rule of thumb is to carry a blade that is 3" or less, is plainedge, and does not have a black coated blade. I know people that have got on planes with bigger knives, but my cousin was delayed when he tried to carry his Benchmade Ascent with 3.5" blade on to a Northwest Airlines flight here in Minneapolis. I figure better safe than sorry.
FWIW, I traveled from Minneapolis to San Francisco last summer on Northwest. I carried my plainedge Spyderco Delica on me and packed my Emerson CQC-7A and Benchmade 710 in my luggage. The security clerk here looked at it and sort of half-opened it and then said "okay." At SFO they didn't even look at it. I always put my knife in the basket with my keys and such BEFORE walking through the metal detector that way you don't look like you're trying to sneak the knife on to the plane.
I've been through MSP security several times with a Delica when picking up friends and family at the airport, and it has never received anything more than a "once-over glance."
Also, check with the state and city statutes where you are traveling so you can make sure you know what you can carry while in California. California carry laws for knives aren't that bad (generally any size folder can be carried as long as it is closed), but as the previous poster stated, individual cities can enforce tighter limits. Here is a good start to obtain CA laws:
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum61/HTML/000070.html
Hope I helped and have a safe trip.
[This message has been edited by JMB (edited 02-13-2001).]
