Not so very long ago (but before 9/11) I had an extremely urgent requirement to travel to East Africa with my (smallest of the three I own) tool box, and an Allison 250 Turbine, and IT had to have its own seat.............
LHR isn't easy at the best of times, but just think of the HMRC headaches (since I would be bringing back the duff one, so S/Ns wouldn't match), never mind the aggro of trying to get an internal combustion engine complete with a
fuel system its own seat, next to me, and on an overcrowded flight, and even business class was full up.
Well, thinking about it now, they couldn't allow the working class, reeking of Jet A1, and his 'toys' into that cabin, now could they? Even if Business was empty. Silly me for even considering it
I'll spare you the nauseating details, but it was a trip from hell - outbound. I recall took me something like 5 hours to get all the processes completed, which is a real bummer when the check-in desk doesn't open until 2 1/2 hrs before the flight............
It was murder - outbound. But my passenger and I made it to Nairobi. Coming back I was prepared to overnight at the check-in lounge place, thingy. Never had a problem just found a suitably switched on security chap who was summoned when I presented myself c/w 'luggage', and it was a dream. I showed my LAE licence at every opportunity (as I had done at LHR, where it cut no ice whatsoever). He even summoned a porter for me to carry my luggage, and this porter had friends in low places and got me to a bar with drinks at VERY sensible prices.
As I said it was a long time ago......... but can you imagine now?
Just for thoughts about teh past. Nostalgia again!! - VFR