[CQ-Contest] Carrying rig on airliner ?

[ALAN KAUL]

It's been years since I've taken a transceiver abroad, but the last time I
did there was a form available from US Customs which enabled the user to
identify a piece of equipment with serial number, etc., in the USA and then
to take it overseas, then to return with it without being charged duty on
it as an import.  When I filled out the form, I also added my cameras and
lenses, Walkman, etc.  Amazingly, with multil return visits to the USA and
a lot of foreign travel (I was living in the Mid East), a US Customs
officer never once questioned my carrying either electronics or cameras!

In several other countries I visited, customs officers at the port of entry
OFTEN INSISTED ON WRITING THE SERIAL NUMBERS OF CAMERAS AND ELECTRONIC
EQUIPMENT IN MY PASSPORT.  Leaving India in 1983, an Air India 747 bound
for Hong Kong was delayed over an hour while the customs officer ordered
the baggage to be off loaded to find a Walkman in my suitcase!  The serial
# was in my passport, and I had been unable to get decent batteries in
India on my monthlong visit, so I had packed the Walkman away and forgot
about it.  Believe me, he literally unloaded the plane til they found my
bag--then it was opened and the offending device was located.  (India and
other countries have anti-terrorist rules about NOT CARRYING luggage for a
passenger unless the passenger is on the same plane---and while he wanted
to detain me til I produced the Walkman, he could not allow the plane to
depart with my luggage unless I was on it!  He was afraid I was
''smuggling'' the Walkman into the country and selling it on the
blackmarket!)

True story!

73 de alan
Alan Kaul, W6RCL
Amateur Radio website: http://home.att.net/~alan.kaul/w6rcl.html
w6rcl at amsat.org



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