Can you bring magnets on a plane? Find out the answer here.
Every one of us who has done even minimal traveling knows the feeling of wanting to buy a memento but being unable to because there is no more room in the suitcase.
Everything is either packaged in a box or has an excessively large footprint.
Then, like a cosmic searchlight, a plethora of magnets come into view.
These ornamented things for the exhibition are typically somewhat flat, making them simple to stow away in a side pocket, a carry-on bag, or a crevice between garments. Superior to cheap trinkets in every way.
However, there are a lot of considerations to make before flying with different sorts of magnets.
The aircraft’s magnetic compass will not be affected by small or ordinary magnets, so feel free to pack them in your carry-on or checked luggage.
Airport security may not let you board your flight with a strong and large magnet if they think it could affect the electrical system of the plane and pose a safety risk.
In this article, we will get into the specifics of flying with magnets, including which kinds of magnets are permitted in carry-on and which in checked luggage.
What are we waiting for?
Let’s get started!
Can You Bring Magnets On A Plane?
Let’s have a look at the rules of flight, then.
The TSA states that most magnets are not considered harmful and can be brought on board or in checked luggage.
If you go to the gift shop at your airport before getting on the plane and find a cute destination magnet, you can buy it without worrying about being searched.
However, keep in mind that the TSA officer has the last say if the item seems suspicious.
Can I bring a magnet on the plane with me?
Transported magnets rarely cause damage to electronic devices because of their diminutive size.
Magnetized playthings include mementos like magnetic chessboards and toys like magnetic train sets. A magnet this big wouldn’t have any effect on how the plane works or how its navigational tools work.
Since that’s the vast majority of baggage, it’s safe to assume that magnets aren’t a threat at the airport.
Creating Trouble in the plane:
Consider how much more time would be taken if every single item having a magnet on it had to be examined at the time of the luggage check. To say that there is frustration on all sides would be an understatement.
If a magnet could be dangerous, it would probably be because of its size or strength.
The International Air Travel Association and the United States Department of Transportation have established strict limits for how strong a magnet can be.
The magnet in concern would be dangerous if its fields were found to be stronger than the specified limits. After that moment, only people with the proper training should handle the magnetic substance.
Is it true that magnets on planes pose a threat to passengers?
The TSA allows passengers to bring magnets onto commercial flights as long as the magnet’s magnetic field is less than 5.25 milligauss at 15 feet.
Another regulation requires “magnetized substance” labels on packages with a field strength of 5.25 milligauss or more measured at a distance of seven feet from the package.
Remember that the distance is determined in both cases by starting with the package rather than the magnet.
In other words, a stronger magnet can be brought along, but the magnetic field strength must be mitigated through packing.
Categories of Magnets:
In most cases, it’s safe to bring magnets along. Having said that, there are likely to be a few varieties that warrant more scrutiny, if not outright rejection.
Let’s examine a few examples of magnets to see what sort of trouble they may produce.
Magnets made from rare earth elements:
Since they could interfere with the plane’s navigational systems or other essential electronics, they are currently on the list of potential banned items.
These magnets require specialized shipping containers to be transported by air. Hard drives, headphones, fishing poles, and battery-operated equipment are just a few places you might find them.
Neodymium magnets:
The magnetic force exerted by one of these is strong enough to cause injury. A distance of several feet is sufficient for these magnets to attract one another.
Similar to how Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, will do anything to return to his hand when he calls it. If your finger gets in the way of one of these magnets, it might be broken.
Additionally, they break quite readily. Smartphones, televisions, and even filters use neodymium magnets.
Magnets for the Fridge:
The most typical friendly magnets are the little discs often seen adhered to the back of cool items.
You can safely bring anything home on an airplane if you can store it in your refrigerator. These can also be found attached to several different magnetic toys.
Magnets for industrial use:
When it comes to the magnets that will be installed in high-traffic areas, it’s best to leave the job to the pros.
This is because the plane’s electronics could be damaged by the strong magnetic field surrounding them.
Motors, plastic injection molds, generators, pumps, and windmills are only some of the machinery that makes use of these magnets.
Dangerous Magnetic Effects:
Imagine a stack of bags falling or making a mess of the other bags. If a bag with a strong magnet was left lying around, a worker could get hurt just by picking it up.
Therefore, everyone is at risk if their checked luggage has something of that size or power. The possibility of disruption of the system is a drawback in and of itself, but only because of the handling.
Navigation in an Aircraft:
People who live in places where smartphones are as common as people can count themselves as very lucky.
At this point in history, we have the technological capability to take a spontaneous road trip a thousand miles away or to hop on a plane for the cheapest ticket to take us over the ocean.
The convenience of up-to-date navigation systems has made open spaces like highways more appealing to many people.
Google Maps is a very reliable way to find your way around, but planes have been using something even more reliable.
Aircraft navigation relies on magnetometers, which are also used by air traffic controllers. The magnetic field is quantified by this device.
By doing this, the plane can use the GPS as a backup navigation system instead of its main one.
Define the term “magnetometer.”
A magnetometer is a device for determining the direction and strength of magnetic fields. The technology has both terrestrial and astronomical applications.
Miners use magnetometers to find iron ore reserves. To put it simply, there are numerous meter varieties available.
The Magnetometer Has Proven Itself Reliable Over the Years:
Magnetometers have come a long way since their invention in 1833 by Carl Friedrich Gauss. Today’s navigation systems continue to use the revised version that emerged later.
Navigation and Magnets:
It was centuries before anyone could fly across continents using magnets, but they were still used for navigation. The Chinese developed the magnetic compass as early as 206 B.C.E.
After a thousand years, the compass was being used by the military and on ships at sea.
For navigational purposes, magnets rely on the robust magnetic field of the Earth. The planet’s magnetic poles are slightly tilted about the axis of rotation.
The directions that a compass gives you that are between the axis and the geographical poles are the most accurate.
Magnetometers are thus more precise than GPS, which uses satellites for positioning.
Exactly why do magnets affect aeroplane mechanisms?
While aircraft do make use of GPS, they prioritize the more reliable magnetometer when making flight plans.
From A to B, they are the gold standard, and it stands to reason that you wouldn’t want anything to mess with them.
This is why additional safety measures should be taken around some varieties of magnets, such as those mentioned above. The navigation or other important parts of an airplane should work perfectly, or at least not cause any problems.
Rare earth magnets and neodymium magnets can skew the readings from the plane’s magnetometer, which is dangerous.
Conclusion:
Strong magnets should not be used on an airplane because they could mess up the navigational systems. Strong magnets should not be used on an airplane because they could mess up the navigational systems. I think this risk is lower now than it was in the past because aircraft no longer use magnetic compasses to find their way. Instead, they use GPS.
