Lighters banned & matches restricted on airplanes

Jeff Clark

Jeff Clark

Joined
Apr 27, 1999
Messages
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I hate going anywhere without minimal survival gear, particularly flying. There is nothing worse than having to eat your fellow survivors raw. The latest TSA restriction is to take sources of fire away from you. They don't want you to be able to light any fuses while on the airplane. They are banning lighters outright and restricting matches to being packed in your carryon. I wonder if they will allow magnesium igniters and steel keys. I have lost totally bladeless keychain tools on previous trips. The TSA even explicitly bans pliers and other tools.

What would you bring with you for survival gear and a source of fire? I guess that a magnifying glass is helpful in places with enough sunlight. The battery in my walkman would work if I had some steel wool. I really don't need to light fuses on the airplane. Most terrorists will probably just switch to electric ignition anyway. If I go down in the Rockies at night in the middle of winter I will really want something.
 
How many examples of commercial aircraft crashing in the Rockies and leaving survivors can you recall?
 
heard this on the radio this morning, but this has been posted a couple weeks back.
 
just think. if i were a spy or some other covert guy, how would i hide my equipment to board this flight? sew a small pouch on the inside of your belt or but one of those belt buckles that have knives in them. ever c the t-handled knives from rambo 2? something like that will get past security maybe store flint with the knives and use the t-knife for sparking..
the only problem is that steels and sinthetic flints can be magnetic allowing them to find your goods!. try to buy things made of plastic and wierd alloys that wont pick up on the metal detectors.
 
It's my guess that if a commercial airliner goes down the last thing your going to need is fire.

DO NOT MESS WITH THE TSA. THEY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS STUFF. Mac
 
I had a friend who survived crashing in the Rockies. He was in a commuter-sized airplane. Before the flight his wife had a premonition and insisted that he wear his parka. His back was broken in the crash. He was stuck in his seat along with other passengers. During the night he listened to several people freezing to death. He recovered (more of less). He bought his house on the procedes from the airline's insurance company settlement. I fly over the Rockies a lot. I think about crashing up there and how long it can take them to reach you.
 
Jeff,

In all seriousness I respect your original question and in my opinion they are making it impossible to travel with the means to survive a forced landing of a commercial airliner.

I fly alot, especially between South America and the US. It is pretty intimidating to fly over the Amazon and just see blackness below for hours. There is usually survival equipment on board. I have no idea what is in the box but there is such a box, I've seen it.

I still think that surviving the crash of an airliner would be more a matter of surviving the injuries sustained in the crash rather than any of the bushcraft stuff we discuss here.

I once spent 12 hours with the TSA for an honest mistake. They cleared me in about 2 hours but by then I was in the system and it took a full day to be released. If you intentionally try to conceal a prohibited item you will spend far longer. They are not kidding about these rules.

Small planes are a different matter entirely, but then again you have more freedom in private aviation to carry what you need. Mac
 
I'm flying down to Key West in a month, can I take my Zippo if it is in checked bagage?

I was under the immpression if I put all my stuff in checked bagage it would go through. I'm a pipe smoker and I hate to be without my zippo.
 
We're probably about 2 or 3 years away from banning *passengers* on commercial flights.

Which, actually, would probably work better than any other solution. :rolleyes:
 
Well, let's see about this.

2001: Knives and tools banned on commercial flights, as they could be used by terrorists to crash a plane.

2002: Knitting needles, tweezers, and manicure scissors banned on commercial flights, as they could be used by terrorists to crash a plane.

2003: Corkscrews banned on commercial flights, as they could be used by terrorists to crash a plane.

2004: Laser pointers banned on commercial flights, as they could be used by terrorists to crash a plane.

2005: Lighters banned on commercial flights, as they could be used by terrorists to crash a plane.

2006: Wallets and keys banned on commercial flights, as they could be used by terrorists to crash a plane.

2007: Belts and watches banned on commercial flights, as they could be used by terrorists to crash a plane.

2008: Clothing and shoes banned on commercial flights, as they could be used by terrorists to crash a plane.

2009: Seats banned on commercial flights, as they could be used by terrorists to crash a plane.

2010: Pilots and crew banned on commercial flights, as they could be used by terrorists to crash a plane.

Go ahead! See if I'm wrong about this! :eek:
 
As they say, if there is a will, there is a way. I would like to have a lighter/matches to light my smokes in the airport during a layover. Maybe the antismoking lobby is behind this.

I think if someone has enough smarts to smuggle something bad on a plane, they got the ignition source is not much more to do.

9v battery from walkman/radio/toy, steel wool and something from the lavatory- toilet paper or tampax? There you go, fire.

And I agree with the above post; TSA has little sense of humor.
 
The only people that bans like this affect are law abiding citizens, terrorists will find a way. There is no way to make sense of it as the people making the rules have none.
Like the rules in any game you should get the latest banned list in writng before the flight and avoid anything that can be construed to fit the rules. It is unlikely that a firesteel will fit the rules, however magnesium is flamible and probably is banned under a motherhood statement about flamibles (I would expect that they could treat steel wool the same way).
Good luck!
 
I am not trying to circumvent the TSA regulations, I am trying to lesson the impact of the regulations. For example I don't see a way to create fire inside an airplane with a magnifying glass. I assume that my pocket magnifier (for my far-sightedness) would not violate any regulations. Unfortunately I have had trouble getting a real fire going using a magnifier, even with the bright light up here at 7,000 feet. I don't think you would be likely to secretly ignite a fire using a magnesium rod and a piece of steel, but I think the TSA is kind of likely to take it away from me.

What do you think the TSA would approve that would let me start a fire on the ground in a reasonable amount of time? Maybe some highly optimized fire bow.
 
Jeff,

I don't mean to jump all over this one. I understand your motives and agree with the sentiment. Personally I think these ever changing rules have more to do with controlling public sentiment and awareness than they are designed to prevent terrorism.

As stupid as the regs seem the TSA has the power of your future in their hands and they don't have to think. I see people all the time talk about how to circumvent the regs and they have no idea how it is to be on the other side of this issue for a few months and a few thousand dollars.

Primitive skills have their place. Mac
 
I heard a news report on the radio this AM that Zippo was meeting with Government officials to talk about the ban. Zippo claims it will kill 30% of their biz.
:eek:
jeff
 
pict said:
...Personally I think these ever changing rules have more to do with controlling public sentiment and awareness than they are designed to prevent terrorism...
Click to expand...
I think this is 90% the case, but I reserve 10% doubt.

And here's how we can tell: who initiated the requirement?

If it's the FAA, it's to control public sentiment and keep the airlines in business. Screw the public.

If it's the NTSB, there's a real problem with lighters we don't know about.

Guess which *I* think it is...
 
As I heard it, the tennis shoe bomber was caught trying to light his sneakers with matches. He wasn't subtle or fast about it. They figure if he had a Bic lighter he would have made it. Explosives get through metal detectors if they don't have metal in them (such as electric blasting caps). Banning lighters is supposed to reduce the risk of explosives or fire bombs being used on an airplane. These terrorists must be a lot less resourceful than I am if banning lighters interferes with their plans. As long as you allow electronic devices on the plane you can't preclude bombs.
 
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