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Anyone have experience flying with a sousaphone?

I have an MTS hard plastic case which seems like it'll be sturdy enough to do the job. My concern is that it's so bulky that the airlines will refuse it, as these days they are all about restricting the size of baggage. One airline's website said that something of this size would have to go "cargo".

I am obviously going to avoid flying whenever possible but it may become unavoidable pretty soon. Anyone have any experience with this?

Call the airline you wish to fly and talk to them--make sure you have the weight and dimensions of the case. You will be charged extra but it wont be refused (have flown with my old souzie a number of times).

You didn't say if you were going international or domestic, or both - the rules vary with each airline and destination. Since we travel as a group, the excess fees are figured out ahead of time and are absorbed into the total cost of the tour. We sometimes have to drop off and pick up our horns at the oversize bag window, depending on airlines and airports.

I (and the rest of the Repercussions Sousaphone section ) have used the older MTS clamshell - the one without wheels - on many international flights without major problems. I don't know about the newer version - I have not decided if I am going to upgrade or not - my current case has about 15 years (and 25+ trips ) on it and I am noticing a bit of strain on the rivets, latches and hinges.

Most of our section have brass Conn short action BBbs but my Olds fiberglass horn fits fine. I turn the 3rd valve and main slides around on my horn to protect the water keys, but nothing else seems to be a problem. There is lots of room for clothes and souvenirs on the return flight

In college, we flew from DC to Anaheim for an NCAA tournament. The director insisted on NOT using the Anvil cases to fly with, b/c they'd be too much trouble to get around once we were there. Instead, we used the old style plywood cases... so of course, I ended up with a smashed bell and a bent valve. It was a fun trip, but I sure couldn't play very much!

When my band went overseas last year, the MTS case I used for my sousaphone put it just inside the size and weight restrictions. Not by much, and I had to carry the neck, bits and mouthpiece in my bag, but that was good enough.

Thanks for the info guys.

I'm out of Toronto, and have a new year's gig in the NYC area. From what I know about the airline (Porter) it's likely we'd be on a small prop plane since it's a direct flight, hence my concern that they wouldn't take the horn at all. I think in this case it will be ok though, I may have a horn in the area I can use, and failing that it's not too far to drive though the rest of the band is flying.

I'm thinking ahead to the future and realizing it will happen eventually that I'll need to fly with this thing. Seems like it'll be OK as long as I talk to the airline in advance.

If you're really worried about flying, it's only about a 9 hr drive from Toronto to NYC.

I say drive if you can and absolutely need that specific sousaphone. Here's my experience last summer:

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I shiped the horn via Greyhound on the return trip. ($221)