Flying with CPAP my experience

[Ravensclown]

Well I have been on this site for a while but forgot my log on so have resigned.

Following advice from this site I checked with my airline(s) to register bringing CPAP gear.
As I gave less than 24 hours notice I had to use my own power.
Thats OK, I have a converter plug and power pack for my S9.
So I bought a battery. i Asked if I could fly with this battery (the airline and the supplier of the battery) and was given the all clear.
THe battery was a 9ah sealed lead acid.
Took the first 3 flights ok but on the fourth flight at the security screening point was told I could not bring that battery on the plane and I would have to forfiet it.
Well it was a bit of reality tv/border security mexican standoff as i did not want to give up my battery and i did want to have a sleep on my next two flights. i just cant handle the idea of sleeping without CPAP!
I asked to see the documentation that showed where it was not allowed, and also to see what medical exemptions applied. The staff could not produce this although they were frantically reviewing all of there literature. I was OK as I had at least one hour to spare before my flight left and was not giving up easily.

After a bit one of the airports own security staff members intervened and as he was a fellow CPAPer he recognised that I needed this machine and battery and told the staff I was allowed through. Although they still insisted on taping the terminals with security seal (how am i supposed to use it with sealed terminals?) And advised in the future it needs to be in a box?? Incidently the next flight was no problems?

Anyway did i recklessly endanger the passengers lives on this plane by bringing this battery or was this staff member completely wrong - I am really curious!

I will attach a photo of the battery in a bit.

I look forward to others advice.
(S9 autoset with no humidifier and swift fx)

[Ravensclown]

I couldnt figure out how to attach a photo except on my avatar. The photo is of the battery, it even has the security seal tape on it still

[GumbyCT]

I might be biased but I have to side with the cpaper in this case.

Which airline was this and which airport?

[Ravensclown]

Air NZ, Wellington. However I had had 3 flights with AirNZ and it was only on the fourth flight that a security staff said it wasn't allowed on the plane.
I couldnt believe it.
I had no further problems with my next two qantas flights.
I think the person was genuinely mistaken?

[GumbyCT]

Air NZ, Wellington. However I had had 3 flights with AirNZ and it was only on the fourth flight that a security staff said it wasn't allowed on the plane.
I couldnt believe it.
I had no further problems with my next two qantas flights.
I think the person was genuinely mistaken?

Oh I do too. However I don't know what laws govern NZ.

[pitrow]

Anyway did i recklessly endanger the passengers lives on this plane by bringing this battery or was this staff member completely wrong - I am really curious!

The battery in your picture is a lead-acid battery, same type that's in cars. It contains a pretty nasty acid. Typically 35% Sulfuric acid to be exact. A nefarious person could use that for all kinds of dastardly deeds. Not to mention shorting a wire across the terminals could easily be used to start a fire. Oh, and during normal charging and discharging this type of battery emits hydrogen gas, which is highly flammable/explosive. Not saying you'd do anything like that, but someone might, and that's where the security person's concern is.

[wilsonintexas]

I am gl;ad you had time, and it worked out. The comment on fire, is the same for any battery. Ther is enough power in every cell phone, and lap top battery to start a fire with a short.... I know from myth busters that many have shorting cicuts in them.....

I think that I would have the literatrue from the ariline site saying that the battery is OK, and the literature form the battery manufacturer.....

[Ravensclown]

Thats the thing - i had no paperwork for my CPAP. As I used the telephone to confirm it was OK to use CPAP on the plane - It was all noted on my booking (computer reference) with the various airlines. But no actual paperwork. The security staff are government employees seperate from the actual airlines and I appreciate they have regulations to follow - hence my request to sight the regulation and my next question to see if any medical exemptions applied. However with two staff members searching through the regulations they could not find a regulation to show me.

When i purchased the battery and prepared my little travel bag I knew it was going to cause me some issues along the way as I can appreciate it could be short circuited or release gas etc. but the airline specifically said I could use CPAP but need to bring my own power, I held the battery in my hand and specifically read the label of the battery to the airline(s) and was given the OK. And yes I still had my doubts that it was going to be OK.

Not to mention the charger, the converter, the battery, the 240volt power pack, the humidifier, the distilled water, the two hoses etc. was a pain to travel with and weighed somewhere around 5kg. One positive was I used the medical equipment to avoid a 3kg excess baggage charge.

Still curious - surely some others must have travelled and used batteries on airlines?

[Xney]

I've travelled with my BiPAP numerous times (successfully), but never with a battery.

I wouldn't be surprised if they don't allow that battery, unfortunately.

[archangle]

Oh, and during normal charging and discharging this type of battery emits hydrogen gas, which is highly flammable/explosive.

No, hydrogen is only produced during charging when it's connected to an external power source. Even then, you only get hydrogen when it's being overcharged. Even then, it's at such a slow rate that it's non hazardous unless you have a REALLY big external power source. If you had an external power source, you wouldn't need a battery, you could just use water with a little electrolyte in it. A battery produces hydrogen by breaking down the water in the battery into hydrogen and oxygen. A container of water the size of a battery won't produce enough hydrogen to render all the air in a plane explosive.

You could theoretically fill up something like a garbage bag with a mixture of air and hydrogen and blow it up, but it would take an external AC power supply, and the bag would fill up slowly. Hopefully someone would notice before you got a big enough hydrogen/air balloon to be a hazard.

Not to mention shorting a wire across the terminals could easily be used to start a fire.

A wadded up newspaper would make a far more effective incendiary device.

Lead acid batteries very rarely do anything particularly explosive or flammable unless they're being abusively overcharged by a substantial external power source.

The battery in your picture is a lead-acid battery, same type that's in cars. It contains a pretty nasty acid. Typically 35% Sulfuric acid to be exact. A nefarious person could use that for all kinds of dastardly deeds.

That's either a gel cell or an AGM battery. Even if you cracked the case open, the acid is not in a liquid form. Even if it was a standard car type liquid electrolyte battery, what are you going to do? Pour the acid out from each of the 6 cells into some other container, without being noticed by anyone else, then threaten the flight attendant with spraying acid all over her? I can think of 3 or 4 different dry chemicals that you could easily mix with water to make a significantly more harmful liquid to threaten people with.

Sulfuric acid isn't that dangerous. You could threaten people with it, but it's not going to eat a hole in the cabin and let the air leak out or make the wings fall out.

[GumbyCT]

Thats the thing - i had no paperwork for my CPAP.

Two reasons to carry your prescription when you travel.
1. To prove the machine is yours- you need it and that is why YOU are in possession of it. (Should you need to)

2. In case you need service or buy/rent parts while on the road. Even if it is a nationwide DME and the RT told you - you don't need to carry it. You remember those words when you are miles away from home at another branch of the DME and it takes them 3 days (or more) to be able to access your medical records.

Remember that saying about "Poor planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part"?

[Ravensclown]

I agree Gumpy. My prior planning was pretty poor. I started phoning up the airlines etc. just under 24 hours before leaving. I was quite surprised the airlines had good, easy procedures to notify and record your intention of using CPAP and no script was necasary - as long as your machine was on their list (which mine was) - CPAP was fine, just had to supply my own power.

The doctors cert. may have helped with the medical exemption if the kind CPAPer at security hadnt of intervened although I am not sure of this.
Definetly hadnt considered needing a breakdown service in a foreign country/state so not a bad suggestion for future refernce - cheers

[GumbyCT]

That reference was not to or about you but those who would say "but my DME said".