I will be taking a business trip in a passenger jet shortly and would like to know about taking fountain pens on planes.
I have heard that if using a 'bladder' pen, for want of a better term, it needs to be completely full, or completely empty, due to change in air pressure forcing ink out in a messy ending. I am thinking that this will cause a problem when using the pen during the flight and thus not remaining completely full.
If I take a cartridge/convertor type pen, should I have the same difficulties? My thinking is that because the convertor is more rigid than a sac, it should not be so affected by the pressure. Then again, I will need to take a bottle of ink to use while away for refilling.
My other thought, is to remove the convertor and buy cartridges for use on the plane and whilst away. If I load a cartridge before take off, will I get a discharge of ink during the flight?
Will cartridges be able to sustain the pressurised cabin and remain intact?
I thank you in advance for any assistance you may be able to offer.
Regards,
Gerard.
__________________
If you are what you eat, then I'm easy, fast and cheap!
That was good info. I'm still no closer to deciding how to do it though. I'll be away for a couple of weeks - too long for one sac/convertor of ink; so I might just take the empty pen on the plane and put a cartridge in when I land, before dispensing with any partly used cartridge before boarding to come home.
__________________
If you are what you eat, then I'm easy, fast and cheap!
Most modern pens don't have any issues with flying. My best advice would be to keep the nib pointed upright while taking off. I have flown with full and half full pens and have not had a problem with leaking. I keep my pens in a small pen case (for 2 or 3 pens) and put it upright in the seat pocket facing me for takeoff. I suspect that modern feeds are efficient enough to absorb any extra ink that might enter the feed under these conditions. Incidentally, the aerometric Parker 51 was designed to be able to handle flying, not the vacumatic 51.