Originally Posted by
ENIGMACODE
Hello and thank you for reading my post. I've researched the issue or question of carrying external hard drives onboard an airplane (in a carry-on suitcase), and it is 'acceptable.' However in the case of a 'documentary filmmaker' myself being a 70 year old traveler, its not uncommon to have #8 or more 'bare hard drives' for a film project, assuming of course I can physically fit several 1/2" X 6" drives in a typical suitcase. American says its 'ok' but suggested I also check with TSA.GOV Thank You!
That mass of metal may trigger a secondary inspection or at least a swab test as it will tend to obscure the X-Ray operators view. Other than that, and of course some small risk of damage to the HDDs due to handling, we generally encounter no issues in similar circumstances.
Is your case small enough to ride under your seat? If not are you protected by early boarding in the event overhead space is not available and you are required to gate check? I'm guessing those HDDs carry irreplaceable footage and you may be reluctant to have those ride out of sight.
Can your process/equipment use solid state devices? The size and weight savings and the reliability increase is great for travel.
Also if you aren't already using them, there are inexpensive clear plastic boxes available for bare drives. Adds some mechanical protection and makes packing easier.
Cheers