Re: Need Advice on Flying w/ my tuba!!!


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Posted by Jeremy Olson-Shelton on December 08, 1999 at 03:31:16:

In Reply to: Need Advice on Flying w/ my tuba!!! posted by Todd on December 06, 1999 at 23:03:43:

I have a small yamaha f and have owned a 822 CC as well. I am by no means the most experienced tuba traveler, but I have traveled around the country with my tubas quite a bit.
1. I have noticed that the lighter and easier your tuba is to throw, the farther and harder they will throw it. solution : pack any cleen socks or t shirts you will need on your trip in a plastic trash bag into your bell and any other crevices between slides. If you pack the bell firmly it will also evenly distribute any blows it may encounter. Hirsbrunner uses a stirafoam (sp?) cone to do the same thing. I have an oversized case I have packd with my tuba and all my cloths for the trip. It also saves me from carying and paying for extra bags. They could drop it off the plane, but they can't throw it out the hatch onto the belt.
2. Try to fly in and out of a smaller airport. Big airports have too many oportunities for your tuba to go to the wrong country like mine once did, but that's a whole other story. Small terminals seem to be less hecktic and I seem to have had better luck getting personalized care for my tubas.
3.Try to GATE CHECK your tuba. The less time they have your tuba the less time they have to damage your tuba. You will allso know exactly which leg of your trip the instrument Incoured the damage. Check the tuba and the case well for signs of damage at each stop on your trip. If you notice damage bring it to the attention to the bagage office of that airline at that airport and get a claim # immediatly.
4. That reminds me, BEFORE YOUR TRIP, take some good photos of your tuba and have it appraised . That way if something bad should happen (gasp) you have proof of what it looked like and what it's worth.
5. Try to get a not so crowded flight. The less stuff to jam onto yout tuba the better. I have also been successfull in geting a free seat for my tuba on a pretty empty flight by asking one of the flight attendants (NICELY)just before I gate checked it
6. As mentioned in the previous post , get insurance. Many insurance agencys have special musical instrument insurance. It could keep you playing if anything shuld happen to your horn.

I have used the yamaha cases to fly with on 4 occasions and the bells got smashed twice, and not just little dings either. The case had to be ripped away from the inverted bell both times on two diferent occasions. Now I only use flight cases if I am going to fly. Tubas just cost too mucht to risk it.
If your tuba does get dammaged BE PERSISTANT. Depending on the damage and instrument value you may want to consider getting a lawyer. It is kind of drastic but most airlines will fight your claim and drag it out to the best of their ability. Any other helpfull tips are welcome.

Good Luck,
Jeremy Olson-Shelton


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