YOU KNOW THAT whole "asking for a friend" concept as a way of handling a question you're too embarrassed to ask? Recently, pilots have been asking me those types of questions about what they can and cannot carry in their airplanes. I'm not a walking FAR/AIM, but I can read the regulations just as well as the next gal, so I'll take my shot here at some of the commonly asked items…for your friends, of course. First up: guns. I used to fly a Beechjet for a man who took an annual three-day hunting trip to Saskatchewan, Canada, with several of his buddies and one beautiful yellow Labrador retriever. When those folks showed up to board the airplane, they had more baggage than any men I'd ever flown before. In addition to their hunting gear, they each carried a rifle and ammo. Are they even allowed to bring this stuff on board? Often, the answer is yes. But, talk about a headache for the pilots. We had to work the weight and balance out to the last pound to make it in and out of the tiny landing strip in Canada, and we had to manage the customs paperwork on every single passenger and firearm.
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