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I am flying to South Florida in a few weeks to visit my daughter and pick up a CB50 tuba (no case) The thought was to rent a car and drive home. Now my wife wants to fly round trip. I guess I could crate it and send it back greyhound. What kind of case would I need for flying?
Any other ideas? Anyone coming this way from south Florida Oct 16-20?

Thanks for any help or ideas.
Tim
exciting to get another horn - but too old for long drives.

Doesn’t someone in Pcola have a cb50? Works at Schmidt’s I think? Maybe has a hard case you could borrow?

Tim Jackson wrote:I am flying to South Florida in a few weeks to visit my daughter and pick up a CB50 tuba (no case) The thought was to rent a car and drive home. Now my wife wants to fly round trip. I guess I could crate it and send it back greyhound. What kind of case would I need for flying?
Any other ideas? Anyone coming this way from south Florida Oct 16-20?

Thanks for any help or ideas.
Tim
exciting to get another horn - but too old for long drives.

Box it up and send back via Greyhound package express or Amtrack package service.....

It's only about 500 +/- miles from Sarasota to Pensacola depending where, exactly, in each city you'd be traveling to & from.

Even with a stop or two to eat and use the restroom, that's about an 8 hour drive.

I wouldn't even consider flying or shipping when the alternative is only an 8 hour drive.

So, while I wouldn't even fly TO Sarasota from Pensacola in the first place (I'd drive), from among your suggested ideas, I'd rent the car in Sarasota and drive back to Pensacola. Your wife could still fly. Drop her off at the airport on your way home and tell her you'll see her in about 8 hours.

Tom wrote:I'd rent the car in Sarasota and drive back to Pensacola. Your wife could still fly. Drop her off at the airport on your way home and tell her you'll see her in about 8 hours.

This is what I'd do. Much safer and easier, in my opinion.

russiantuba wrote:If you don’t want to drive, you could probably buy two greyhound seats for the way back and put the tuba in another.

Now that's a good idea.

Thanks for the great ideas!

Here the outcome...

A very easy and comfortable trip:

2 round trip plane tickets Pensacola to Tampa $453
1 seat for tuba on the return flight $105
Rental car for 4 days $115

A painless couple of days out of town for me and the wife, we get to visit our daughter in Ft Myers and come back with a CB50!

I went to the airport today to make sure everything goes down smoothly and ended up with the attendant at Silver Airlines being a clarinet player and knowing all about seat luggage/musical instrument air transport - what luck!

My kinda' trip!

Tim Jackson
always needin' 1 mo tuba

Next time you're in Ft. Myers look me up. Glad you had a good trip.

The drive will be the best six hours you ever invested in keeping a horn in good shape. Don't fly with that horn if you like it.

I'm prejudiced. Having had the airline you will probably fly on ruin a tuba, I cannot recommend using a tuba as luggage ever. I had a flight case but if one of those Tee-Ess-Eh employees wants to open up your case and "inspect" your horn they can. And they have no experience handling it or putting it back in the case correctly. Oh, it may work out just fine, flip a coin if you want.

Don't fly. Drive.

But he bought the tuba a seat on the plane. It will never leave his sight and he will be there when it is inspected before boarding.

proam wrote:But he bought the tuba a seat on the plane. It will never leave his sight and he will be there when it is inspected before boarding.

BUT I THINK HE SHOULD DRIVE!

Of coarse driving makes the most sense, but we are older, very busy, and lookin' for an easy trip. We really do not want to sit in a car for 8 hours. The tuba rides in the plane seat next to me and at $105 for the seat - about the same as a tuba going greyhound. P.S. the seller did not want or feel comfortable with shipping. The plane ride from Pensacola to Tampa is 90 minutes. Econo coach seats no cocktails! I am excited to take in the CB50. I love a good 4/4 valve CC.
Tim