Flying with FP's-my experience

[TimS]

I only recently started with FPs, and was a bit concerned about flying with them, not knowing what pressure changes might do with regards to leaking ink. A quick check around the Internet told me that FPs should fly all the way full or empty, so I topped mine off before flying yesterday. Result: neither my Pilot Metro nor 75g leaked, but both my Parker 51 (vacumatic) and Parker 45 leaked, resulting in a bit of a mess when uncapped. Ink didn't come out from under the caps, however.

I emptied both Parkers, and will keep them that way for the return trip, and future trips.

Not sure if my experience is typical, but I'm passing along this info in case it helps anyone else.

 

[rider4life]

I've flown with my Visconti Van Gogh and Faber Castell many times and never had a leak. Haven't tried with the Parker 51 and based on your experience I definitely won't be! !

Cheers

M.

 

[nemo]

New and vintage Pelikans, Sheaffer lever-fillers from the '30s-'40s, Eversharp Skylines. 20+ flights -- no problems yet, about half full and I usually pull them out and write notes during the flight. Granted, I take the cap off gingerly while at altitude.

Honestly I have no experience with c/c fillers and Vacumatics yet ... next trip.

 

[andrew98]

I've flown with several differenc c/c pens, and I've never had any trouble with leaks. I also never worried about how full they were. The trick is to keep the nib pointed up during the ascent and decent. That way, the pressure can equalize in the pen without ink being forced out of the pen.

-Andy

 

[oc_in_fw]

I've flown with several differenc c/c pens, and I've never had any trouble with leaks. I also never worried about how full they were. The trick is to keep the nib pointed up during the ascent and decent. That way, the pressure can equalize in the pen without ink being forced out of the pen.

-Andy

Which is the natural position, if your cap has a clip.

 

[TimS]

I've flown with several differenc c/c pens, and I've never had any trouble with leaks. I also never worried about how full they were. The trick is to keep the nib pointed up during the ascent and decent. That way, the pressure can equalize in the pen without ink being forced out of the pen.

-Andy

That may have been the issue for me then; the stewardess moved my bag (laid it down on its side) before takeoff, to accommodate some knucklehead's oversized carry on.

I just thought it interesting that some of my pens leaked, and some didn't.

 

[Aristeros]

At altitude, air spreads out; it wants legroom, too!

Flying in a commercial airliner that hits FL 390 (39,000 feet) will mean an approximate cabin pressure of 6500 feet or so. This is for the average airliner; the newer the jet, typically, the lower the cabin pressure, so your air mileage may vary, but it'll be *in your pen's favor* (I think the Dreamliner has a cabin altitude of 4500 at FL390). The lower the cabin altitude, the less 'expansion' of air as the plane climbs to cruising altitude (here is where you'd get a burp if anywhere). What does this mean for you? The pressurized cabin makes for less expansion than in, say, the cargo section of the aircraft.

Store your pens as full or as empty as they can be, nib up, and let em burp as the other guys have already said. Cargo compartments are unpressurized; air pockets as they double (this happens at about cabin altitude 10000'+ if I remember right) or triple in volume would probably make your pens leak.

To give you an idea, I fly on a military aircraft. It is quite old and not quite so comfy as commercial airliners. Cabin altitude can be a little more...variable depending upon what the aircraft is doing and whether or not everything is working properly. I have flown quite a few times, almost always had a FP with me, and that FP hasn't leaked in flight regardless of where/how it's been.

Even the dozen or so times that FP was my Noodler's Nib Creaper (the Noodler leaks a bit, though, even under normal circumstances, so this is actually surprising).


tl;dr
Empty pen preferred for pens in checked baggage, or full with nib up. Nib up if it's in the cabin with you, but altitude may not be your culprit.

 

[andrew98]

That may have been the issue for me then; the stewardess moved my bag (laid it down on its side) before takeoff, to accommodate some knucklehead's oversized carry on.

I just thought it interesting that some of my pens leaked, and some didn't.

I keep my pens in a leather pen case when I fly and put them in the seat back pocket or just hold the case with the pens nib pointing up during takeoff and landing. Just don't leave them in the seat back pocket if you choose to put them there.

-Andy

 

[KW Driver]

I fly routinely, and my P51 is the only one that leaks. And it leaks routinely. If I go to 3000' it leaks. My other pens have been good. And they all store upright in my sleeve or shoulder pocket.

 

[andrew98]

I fly routinely, and my P51 is the only one that leaks. And it leaks routinely. If I go to 3000' it leaks. My other pens have been good. And they all store upright in my sleeve or shoulder pocket.

That's strange. I wonder why the 51 is so prone to leaking. I've never flown with mine, and I doubt I'll try it now!

-Andy

 

[u56rh]

I've only had leaking issues with an esterbrook. No probs at all with various c/c, piston, or a snorkel; all in various states of fill.

 

[Phil1-6]

I fly routinely, and my P51 is the only one that leaks. And it leaks routinely. If I go to 3000' it leaks. My other pens have been good. And they all store upright in my sleeve or shoulder pocket.

If I remember correctly this is the reason the Parker ballpoint was invented. WWII pilots didn't like that FP's leaked and didn't like using a pencil. Maybe they all carried 51's.

 

[one cut]

I like to put my pens in a old cigar toob with a bit of cotton in it. That way if there is a leak, the spill is contained in toob and the cotton absorbs it ink.

 

[strop]

Just last week I worked the crossword puzzle in flight with a Parker Vac. No problems.

 

[inspiringK]

I have flown with a 51 only once and had no leaking problems at all. Granted, I emptied and flushed the pen before going to the airport

Other than the 51, my Lamy Nexx is my travel pen and has flown a lot without ever even hinting at leaking. As others have said, I store the pen nib up in a carry on bag during the flight. I also try to fill the pen before the trip, so it is full at the first takeoff, but may have lost quite a bit of ink by the time I fly back.