What is the proper way of flying from the US to Canada with a drone in my luggage?

Question

The drone in question is a DJI Phantom 3 Standard.

1. Can I fly with a drone at all?
2. If yes, carry-on or checked bags?
3. Do you need to declare it?
4. Do you need to take it out of bags at Security X-ray like laptops?

Answer 1

I've flown within the USA, to the US from Canada and Europe, and all over Europe without issues. Here are a few tips:

• Many airlines now have a drone specific page on their website - search using something like "can I take my drone on British Airways" to find it. Print this page and take it with you when you fly.

• There are likely to be limits on the amount of LiPo batteries you can fly with - at one stage I checked and it was three for my specific model on that particular airline, based on size.

• Your LiPos always have to be carried as hand luggage.

• It's advisable to discharge your batteries to around 1/3 for safety reasons. Take a look here for other handy LiPo battery handling tips: http://thedronegirl.com/2015/02/07/lipo-battery/

• It's advisable to store your LiPo batteries in a LiPo bag (available on Amazon, ebay, etc).

• Some countries don't allow drones to be imported and this could apply to passengers in transit. There's a pretty good list of applicable laws, by country, here: https://uavcoach.com/drone-laws/

I've never had a problem, other than a couple minutes delay at security as they looked over my drone (I've flown with a Phantom 4, Mavic Pro and Mavic 2 Pro) and on only one occasion did I need to nudge their approval with production of the printed "can I take my drone on __airline name____" page.

Answer 2

As long as the remote control and the drone are off (they would probably consider those as radios/remote controlled vehicles, which are not allowed to be used in flight) I don't see an issue.

You will need to register the drone with the FAA in order to fly it, and I might be wrong, but you may need an address inside the US as part of registration.

I have also checked the TSA website's tool "What Can I Bring?" for "remote controlled helicopter" and it said it could be in your carry-on or checked baggage.

However, I would avoid calling it a drone in the airport, because it says that drones might not be allowed and groups them with hoverboards/self-balancing scooters because of the battery.