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RIFs on a Plane

You know, I've been wondering this for a long time since I travel between Japan and the UK quite often, and have lived in Japan before too. I was quite hesitant to buy any RIFs as I was too worried on how to bring it back, so this actually has been a useful post! 

Thanks for asking around, as now I am quite informed too! Can't wait!

And enjoy Japan!

 
I recently came back from Poland with a RIF successfully.

There are some things you shall have to consider, mainly that being the airline, where you're going to/coming from and who you ask.

Some Airlines have a strictly no RIF policy, some allow them, some charge fees for transportation.

What is normally requested is that the RIF is inside a hard case, which is securely locked. The RIF must not have the magazine inserted, nor should neither the RIF or magazine be loaded. I normally slightly disassemble my guns too. If you want to ask about it, don't ask the baggage people. It's always better to ask the security or put it through nothing to declare. Should they need to check it, allow them. They may ask more questions after you've passed the security point however you shouldn't normally be questioned- it depends entirely on who you go to and where you are.

That's about it.

 
Little update....  Getting packed for the plane back home now.  Spent most of the break with a stinking head cold and a fever that knocked me out for two days and nights. 

Which seems to happen every time I come here.  Hey ho. 

Made it to Akihabara this afternoon and picked up a Tokyo Marui Glock 19 for the boy at around £80 and the famous Auto 9 Robocop hand cannon. For about £140.

Spoke to Japan Airlines, and although cutting it close as the want 72 hours notice not 24 (bloody illness), but was told to fax them the spec sheets and a covering note with flight numbers and they'd get back in touch. 

Which of course they did when we were on the train where answering the phone is a big no no culturally.  So had to hoped they'd call again. 

Which they did. 

All I need to do is take the guns to the airport, prove there's no gas in them and they will check them into my hold luggage with no extra charges mentioned. 

Happy days. 

Fingers crossed it is that simple at the Heathrow end.... But if you hear of a terrorist incident tomorrow afternoon, it might be me and the boy. 

Somewhat surprised that a place so technically advanced still relies on fax machines, but this place is a bit weird like that. 

SWMBO is far from impressed however. ????

 
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Did you make it?

Far too much kerfuffle in the press about some book for a story about a man and his son being detained at Heathrow to make it onto the front page of BBC News.

 
@Dan Robinson

Indeed, it would be good to know what the outcome was like, as I'm going to Tokyo/Osaka in March with BA, but the return is a 2 part code share, with JAL being the named airline for the first bit.

 
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@Dan Robinson

Indeed, it would be good to know what the outcome was like, as I'm going to Tokyo/Osaka in March with BA, but the return is a 2 part code share, with JAL being the named airline for the first bit.


Yep - made it through the green channel no problem.  

Was quite entertaining breaking out hte guns in the middle of an airport - had to prove they were empty and what we said they were.  Must have messed with a few other passenger's heads LOL.

View attachment 100503

View attachment 100504

If you're flying back with JAL, they will need you to Fax them the spec sheet of the pew.  I just sent them a print out of the web page from KSC and Marui.  Felt very archaic - even the father in law had retired his fax machine to a cupboard.   SWMBO offered little in the way of translation help too, so the boy and I had to muddle through with the lovely JAL ladies.  

Top tip with JAL.... Fly with something unusual, as an extra bag, and they'll treat you differently - in a good way as they process the baggage individually.  Twice now I've done this and got through check in and boarding ahead of other people.   Time before this I had to bring a guitar back.  Anyone would have thought I was Ed Sheeran's older, better looking and more talented brother.  Shame it didn't land me an upgrade though.

Someone asked me about a Derringer two shot, not sure if it was here or at AWA... Pretty good prices too for guns, but the accessories and outfits were more expensive.

Bloody early start it was too, but had nice sunrise to say good by to what will soon be my new home.

View attachment 100505

Safe journey!!!  I doubt I will be going back until the end of the year, but the boy is going in the summer, all things being equal.  Not been to Osaka yet... Guess you'll be chomping on he Okonomiyaki 

 
I'm more impressed with going through the green channel at the end. Nothing makes you feel more like a mob boss under surveillance by MI6 than picking your bags up at heathrow. 

I have a pretty packed schedule, but a couple of free afternoons so I'll try and plan a trip to a couple shops and see if there's anything super nice that i must have.

 
A lot of airline stuff is oddly outdated. Faxes are still used, I think investment tends to go where it’s seen and back room stuff had been left behind.

 
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I'm more impressed with going through the green channel at the end. Nothing makes you feel more like a mob boss under surveillance by MI6 than picking your bags up at heathrow. 

I have a pretty packed schedule, but a couple of free afternoons so I'll try and plan a trip to a couple shops and see if there's anything super nice that i must have.


I always put it down to profiling.... Flights from Japan probably don't flag up as many people/bags of concern.  Not sure if it's the same now, but we always used to land just after an air India flight, and there always seemed to be a healthy number of people having all sorts of interesting and tasty looking things plucked out of suitcases.  They just ignored everyone else.

In recent years I can't remember seeing a sngle person pulled aside for inspection though. 

Kind of ironic when I think of all the dodgy insect killers and Kobe beef steaks my wife and MIL used to stash in my luggage - and not always warning me about. ????

A lot of airline stuff is oddly outdated. Faxes are still used, I think investment tends to go where it’s seen and back room stuff had been left behind.




I've found over the years that Japan is a strange mix of super high tech and beligerently stuck in the past. I remember chip and pin being years behind Europe, and signing for credit card purchases with random Disney character names for ages.   Could have done very well in charge backs and dodgy purchases had I been otherwise inclined. 

Airlines, I suppose are like banks.... The cost of upgrading the backend is so much more than just the hardware and software, that they're just hoping that it all just hangs on in there. 

 
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The fax machine example here isn’t necessarily an airline clinging to old technology, particularly with this being Japanese airlines as fax machines remain prevalent in Japan, and that’s not the only country or industry 

A fax is a very good proven technology that makes a piece of paper physically arrive at a destination 

You don’t need a fax machine to send a fax, computers still have fax as a printer driver, and I still remember the day in the early 1990s that the IT systems manager ran upstairs with excitement that he heard the servers fax board kick in because I had discovered it as a print driver…… and my confusion - “Why wouldn’t someone use the fax driver? I don’t have to walk across the room to pick up a piece of paper from the printer, over to the other office to the fax, and then downstairs to the shredder room”

(Though I do still love a good shredding session and it’s very sad to have less paper)

A piece of paper popping out of a fax happens straight away, is visible and makes a noise 

You know it’s there and can pick it up instantly or you can leave it until you feel  like grabbing the pile

If it’s an email then someone has to look and act, they might open it not act and then it ends up forgotten, it could disappear into a junk box etc

 
A fax is also accepted as a legal document unlike e mail. 
At least until the proper advent of personal cryptographically secure electronic signatures.  We could do it now but as with anything would need Government support.

 
A fax is also accepted as a legal document unlike e mail. 


I've signed many pdfs for contracts ? some worth house buying money. Have watched a few court cases in the states where the editing of PDF files from banks was going to be part of the evidence against the defendant. 

I think the time is coming... 

Limited though my view is I know, I haven't seen a functioning fax machine here in years, but they do like them over there. 

 
At least until the proper advent of personal cryptographically secure electronic signatures.  We could do it now but as with anything would need Government support.


I've signed many pdfs for contracts ? some worth house buying money. Have watched a few court cases in the states where the editing of PDF files from banks was going to be part of the evidence against the defendant. 

I think the time is coming... 

Limited though my view is I know, I haven't seen a functioning fax machine here in years, but they do like them over there. 
True certified digital signatures have been about for some time, but as the EvilMonkee says isn’t yet widespread on a personal basis - though I was using my personal one 15 years ago, and doubt it’s been put to use for much less than that, definitely more than a decade

Old people may remember Ceefax, which was a form of internet on your TV, two way communication versions such as Prestel were used for some industries and dated back to the early 80s.  Prestel didn’t pick up well here with dial

up Bulletin Boards being preferred by British geeky types 

In France Minitel home terminals were distributed by a phone company as an investment to save on updates to printed phone directories, and stayed popular with its various online services.  This lasted about 30 years in france, well into the internet age

Faxes gained popularity about  10 years before Ceefax, Prestel, Minitel etc and has lasted for longer.  Generally we won’t see faxes and will think to email instead but their value in transferring a tangible duplicate remains, complete with legal recognition where applicable 

I can forsee that even when personal digital signatures become widespread, that faxes will still have their niche areas for some time

Before covid there was still a real fax in my office, but with a steady change across to personal Skype numbers we still had desktop phones.  During Covid the phones left the desks, and only a handful remain as fall backs.  
I’ve still not even noticed whether or not the fax is one of them

 
Ceefax! Old people! I resent the implication sir! ?

I recall reading jokes on Ceefax and pressing a button to reveal the punch line. What else do you need? ?

 
True certified digital signatures have been about for some time, but as the EvilMonkee says isn’t yet widespread on a personal basis - though I was using my personal one 15 years ago, and doubt it’s been put to use for much less than that, definitely more than a decade

Old people may remember Ceefax, which was a form of internet on your TV, two way communication versions such as Prestel were used for some industries and dated back to the early 80s.  Prestel didn’t pick up well here with dial

up Bulletin Boards being preferred by British geeky types 

In France Minitel home terminals were distributed by a phone company as an investment to save on updates to printed phone directories, and stayed popular with its various online services.  This lasted about 30 years in france, well into the internet age

Faxes gained popularity about  10 years before Ceefax, Prestel, Minitel etc and has lasted for longer.  Generally we won’t see faxes and will think to email instead but their value in transferring a tangible duplicate remains, complete with legal recognition where applicable 

I can forsee that even when personal digital signatures become widespread, that faxes will still have their niche areas for some time

Before covid there was still a real fax in my office, but with a steady change across to personal Skype numbers we still had desktop phones.  During Covid the phones left the desks, and only a handful remain as fall backs.  
I’ve still not even noticed whether or not the fax is one of them
Old people may remember Ceefax.

Hey don't forget Oracle young man.

Fetch me bedsocks. ??

Regards 

 
Ceefax! 

I'll have you know I had the Ceefax chip installed on my BBC Micro B. 

Still have it somewhere boxed up with the Speccy 48K

 
Old people may remember Ceefax.

Hey don't forget Oracle young man.

Fetch me bedsocks. ??

Regards 
‘Young man’ may not be a suitable description when my dementia forgot Oracle

Ceefax! 

I'll have you know I had the Ceefax chip installed on my BBC Micro B. 

Still have it somewhere boxed up with the Speccy 48K
Those will be worth a pretty penny, which I always think when I poke my nose in the attic seeing my Spectrum, QL etc boxes …… and then close the attic again as I won’t want anyone else’s sticky fingers on them 

 
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