Oxygen cylinder as checked baggage?

[IO540]

Is it possible to transport an empty (or very nearly empty) oxygen cylinder inside a suitcase, as checked baggage, on a normal airline flight?

[Captain Stable]

No.

Oxygen is highly inflammable and they won't take it. Considered dangerous goods.

Any compressed gas is difficult. I've taken diving tanks with nothing but compressed air and airlines have thrown wobblies - demanding they be emptied, the valves removed, etc. etc.

[172driver]

Why checked ? Get yourself a wheelchair, mount the oxygen bottle on it , cannulae in nose and pretend you need it - should get you priority treatment ;)

(unless flying RYR, of course :E )

[Captain Stable]

Of course, the other consideration of oxygen tanks is that they're difficult to X-Ray and carry out security checks on them. Who's to say they're not stuffed with C4?

[Johnm]

Oxygen is highly inflammable and they won't take it. Considered dangerous goods.


Well no it isn't actually, but it doesn't half help things that are to burn really well!

[S-Works]

If it is empty you may carry it as checked on baggage. I carry a 2l carbon O2 cylinder on ferry flights and frequently bring it home as checked on baggage.

[BackPacker]

From my diving classes I seem to remember that "empty" means that the valve is either removed or left open so that air can move in and out freely. Anything else is not accepted by the airlines.

In the diving world, this means that the cylinder has to be inspected internally for corrosion before it can be used again. Not an insurmountable problem, but something to keep in mind.

[IO540]

the cylinder has to be inspected internally for corrosion before it can be used again

Indeed - that's what they taught me on the BSAC scuba course. That's why one normally doesn't let the bottle go totally empty. But if one removes the valve then obviously it will be totally empty. And a composite bottle is still aluminium on the inside.

I am looking at one one-way trip (not in my plane :) ) which will need oxygen. I might take an old ally bottle and leave it out there. I have found that I can buy a brand new one, mail order, for the same (about $300) as it costs to get one checked and pressure tested over here.

OTOH the bottle I have in mind would never be big enough for the 2 of us going, and I don't want to risk my huge composite bottle (not being able to take it back).

Anyway, thank you all, food for thought.

[BackPacker]

Have you checked the regulations wrt. to hand luggage? Or is the bottle too big for that, making that scenario impossible outright?

AFAIK the rules for oxygen bottles in hand luggage are very different from the rules for checked baggage. If only for those people that need it for medical reasons.

[172driver]

FEDEX / airfreight it back ? These things do get shipped around, so the must be a way.

[172driver]

AFAIK the rules for oxygen bottles in hand luggage are very different from the rules for checked baggage. If only for those people that need it for medical reasons.

Hence my earlier post :E

[IO540]

FEDEX / airfreight it back ? These things do get shipped around, so the must be a way.Yes, have to be empty (not that anybody will actually unpack it ;) ). I have imported all mine from the USA, by UPS.

But the cost would be high - probably $200.

[mad_jock]

Removed maybe a bit daft telling you that in a public forum check your PM's

[BackPacker]

the same (about $300) as it costs to get one checked and pressure tested over here.

I can't believe it's that expensive. I don't own any diving bottles so I don't know the exact price, but a quick Google search coughed up a few price lists that all hover around the 50-euro mark for a visual plus hydraulic test.

That's for diving cylinders of course, to be filled with air or nitrox. I don't know if the rules are different for 100% O2 cylinders.

[IO540]

I tried that but dive shops don't like bottles used in aviation.

Same as most won't sell you oxygen. Or they might when a particular individual is on the shift... been there, tried that ;)

[BackPacker]

I know you've crossed swords with Bose-X before, but if you ask kindly, maybe he might be of help...?

[IO540]

I rent the full size cylinder from British Oxygen; keep it at home and this solved all my oxygen issues. £90 /year to rent, £20 to swap for a full one. I get so many refills from it, I do them free of charge for others. Been doing this for a few years.

Best quality welding oxygen :)

[Fitter2]

I am looking at one one-way trip (not in my plane http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/smile.gif ) which will need oxygen. I might take an old ally bottle and leave it out there. I have found that I can buy a brand new one, mail order, for the same (about $300) as it costs to get one checked and pressure tested over here.
AFE at Kidlington got my aviation cylinder recertified , including the refill (if you pick it up - shipping full cylinders is prohibitive) for £50 inc VAT.

I am sure other places can do the same.

[S-Works]

There is no problem with emptying a cylinder. It is utter tosh that if a cylinder is emptied it must be inspected.

Cylinders corrode internally if they are filled from inadequately filtered compressors where the moisture trap is not working, not through being emptied. We sell hundreds of cylinders a year, the cylinders come from our supplier in Italy and the valves are made by MDE in the UK and we put them together when they are sold. They sit for months in our unit without valves.

To ship on an aircraft, just empty the cylinder and be done with it. If you are really paranoid about being stopped then take the valve out and put a bit of masking tape over the neck or if you are really nice to me I will send you a funky little neck plug that you can screw in. For real belt and braces put a little silica gel pack in the bottom.

Same as most won't sell you oxygen. Or they might when a particular individual is on the shift... been there, tried that

To be fair, you seem to be the only one who has this problem as has been demonstrated by comments elsewhere! ;)

[IO540]

AFE at Kidlington got my aviation cylinder recertified , including the refill (if you pick it up - shipping full cylinders is prohibitive) for £50 inc VAT.That's a most useful post, fitter2. I've just called them and yes that is right. Not publicised on their website :)

There should be other firms, as you say, but if it doesn't come up on google then what can one do? The scuba shop solution is all down to personal contacts, which is why some are OK with it. I used to get cylinders tested and refilled by a firm called Life Support Services, near Worthing. They were really nice and did it for about £30. They went bust a few years ago. They also had piles of amazingly light but old and covered in dust composite cylinders which I used to look at with much interest on my visits there but they were about £1000. Fortunately the prices of these have collapsed and my composite one from Mountain High is about 4x bigger and cost me $600.

[A and C]

I think it is time to talk to a doctor and get a note giving a "medical reason" to carry the thing as hand baggage.