Flying internationally with bayan

[CharlieHunterFan]

Hello all.

I have a rather large Ukrainian Bayan. My family and I are moving internationally back to the US. We plan to ship some things and bring some things back with us as carry-ons and as checked luggage.

Here’s my plan.

I’ve only got a soft case, and it’s too big to fit in an overhead compartment on its own or in the case. I’ve separated the bass and treble sides and have placed them in two carry ons. The two bass reed blocks are separated, padded, and wrapped, also in the carry ons. I padded and wrapped all parts in cellophane.

The only part that is checked is the bellows. It’s padded and wrapped and will be inside my hard sided trunk, surrounded by soft clothes.

Thoughts?

 

[KiwiSqueezer]

I have no experience of transporting accordions by air, but, should I ever buy one from a dealer here in NZ, it will almost certainly require a one-hour 'plane trip - an uncomfortable prospect, for both human and accordion. I have, however, packed and transported other, delicate equipment. Some thoughts, as requested...

The idea of a bit of wrapping and soft cases doesn't inspire confidence. Protection is required from several physical threats: the packaging may be subjected to puncture (it's crashed into by something with sharp edges), crushing (someone steps, sits, or falls on it, a gorilla forces it into an overhead locker, or it's the bottom of the heap of heavy freight), deceleration (it gets dropped or thrown - or falls out of the overhead locker during turbulence), and, of course, the weather (it's left on a baggage trolley in a downpour).

I think crushing is the most difficult to protect against - you need a strong exoskeleton (box), and this should also take care of puncture threats, but it will be heavy. Simple wrapping with bubble-wrap isn't much use. Inside the box, items should be packed resiliently, allowing some movement, so they are not subjected to as much deceleration or shock as the box. So, encasing an accordion in a well-fitting expanded polystyrene box does not do a good job of shock-protection - it's not resilient. Surround the item with, say, 2" of foam rubber, or many, many layers of bubble-wrap, ensuring it's a reasonably good fit in the box. A plastic bag takes care of waterproofing, short of prolonged immersion... I think it would also be a good idea to bind the instrument in such a way as to prevent relative movement of its major components, so relieving the bellows closing straps of load.

Set the instrument, either base-plate downwards, or in playing position (depending on whose opinion you prefer), in the box, and label the box 'THIS WAY UP' and "FRAGILE'. No-one will take any extra care, and it will amuse those baggage handlers who can read, but at least you tried...

I made a wooden box, mainly from 1/4" ply, with human-friendly handles, to transport a delicate amplifier, in the aircraft's hold, and followed the above advice. Well worth the effort and expense - it was unscathed. Or you could splash out and buy a 'flight case'. Once you have such a thing, you'll find other occasions where it's worth its initial, frightening, expense. This is what I would do, should I have to collect an accordion.

 

[Dingo40]

I've had success packaging photographic cameras in layers of newspaper and wedging them in sturdy, discarded cardboard boxes (fromBunnings/supermarket) with crumpled up sheets of newspaper and taping the lot with parcel sticky tape.
These have survived the Australia Post parcel service.
It's all we had, before the advent of bubble wrap and styrofoam peanuts, cost nothing and worked well!

 

[Ffingers]

I've had success packaging photographic cameras in layers of newspaper and wedging them in sturdy, discarded cardboard boxes (fromBunnings/supermarket) with crumpled up sheets of newspaper and taping the lot with parcel sticky tape.
These have survived the Australia Post parcel service.
It's all we had, before the advent of bubble wrap and styrofoam peanuts, cost nothing and worked well!

Likewise, corrugated carboard, doubled ( or more) with the corrugations at right angles and all voids packed with crumpled newsprint paper is as efffective as anything except for the extra weight.