Aha! Mr Hinecap, you must be the man to answer a question that arises every time I've taken a life preserver on RAF AT: which of these is the
correct answer for LSJ packing according to IATA / JSP / whatever.....
- Wrapped in thick polythene bag with CO2 bottle and flares removed; packed in hold within kitbag
- Wrapped in thick polythene bag with CO2 fitted but flares removed; packed in hold within kitbag
- Wrapped in thick polythene bag with CO2 and flares fitted, packed in hold within kitbag
- As per 1, but taken out of kitbag at check-in and thick polythene bag removed ("not packed as per rules, sir"), placed into thin black bin bag, and instructed to hand to Loadmaster as carry-on item. Bin bag breaks whilst carrying across pan.
- As per 2 but removed from kitbag and counted as separate item ("not allowed to put dangerous cargo in checked luggage")
Those are just the combinations I can remember being ordered to comply with, there are many others but the detail escapes me! Is it any wonder that people don't respect Movers as a collective when their own rules are applied so inconsistently?
In case anyone thinks "trivia", the average Squipper probably spends a whole day at either end of a detachment preparing LSJs for transit, or putting them back together afterwards, and all of it
probably unneccessary - a friendly Squipper told me that their understanding of the rules is that "3" is the answer, but they go through all the palaver of taking the bits and bobs out because the LSJs rarely get accepted in that condition. This now creates another problem... the flares, once removed from the LSJ, enter another category of DAC and need packing in special "ballistic" boxes to keep the Movers happy... money money money!
So, Mr Hinecap, if you could put the matter to rest I'm sure it would make a lot of Squippers very happy, and we could perhaps save some money as well? Perhaps you could put a GEMS in to Movements HQ and pocket some of the savings!