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The Frankfurt airport story is a good one. I've never been mistaken for an Air Marshal. I'm glad nothing happened on your flight. That little old lady might have jumped into your lap, looking for protection.

I have been mistaken for a police officer. The ticketing agent asked me if I was taking my firearm on board. I was thoroughly confused by the question until I realized that she had given me the wrong declaration form.

It is interesting that gun-checking procedure not consistent within a single airline. At Houston I got a private inspection. At Phoenix, I got no inspection.

In Arizona, I went shooting with some friends. We were trying to best each other in precison shooting. I went to the Ben Avery Shooting Range for the first time. I like that range.

I took a pistol and a rifle on vacation to Phoenix AZ. The rifle was in a rifle case. The pistol was in a pistol case. The pistol case was inside my regular luggage.

When I went to the ticket counter at Continental Airlines, I told the ticketing agent that I need to declare two firearms. She was inexperienced with the firearms procedure and quietly told a superior ticketing agent. The superior nodded at me and said, "I'll be with you as soon as I'm finished here." She was helping a family of four with travel adjustments. I stood quietly and waited for her to finish.

The traveling crowd was not heavy in number this day, but there were enough travelers so that all of the ticket lines were busy. As I was waiting, another ticketing agent came into the area. The superior agent called him by name and said, "Help me out please. That man has a weapon." The statement was loud enough for everyone to hear.
A strange quiet settled over the long ticket counter, as other travelers stopped what they were doing and looked at me. I smiled as the ticketing agent gave me the declaration cards to sign. Then we left the ticket counter, and went to an area to inspect my luggage. The other travelers were still gawking. Must be foreigners.

On the return trip from Phoenix, there was no inspection of my luggage. The Phoenix ticketing agent gave me the forms and asked me to put them into the my bags. He said that if TSA needed to inspect the bags, they would call for me at the departure gate. While I was putting my the forms into my gun cases, a young man was in line behind me. I happened to notice the expression on his face as he saw my AR-15. His eyes were big as the number 9 circle on a target. Must be a foreigner.

I concluded my business and made my way through security. After purchasing a few snacks, I found a seat at my departure gate and started to watch football on a nearby television screen. That's when my Spidey-sense began tingling, and I got the feeling I was being watched. I looked to my left to see the young man who was in line behind me at the ticket counter. By a stroke of coincidence he was sitting nearby and watching me with the same number 9 eyes. If had said, "Boo!" he might have jumped out of his seat.

Time came to board the plane. As I got in line to board, I saw the ticketing agent who had checked me in. He was standing by the gate, apparently greeting passengers. I thought his presence was more than coincidental. I nodded at him as I walked past.

I arrived at Houston IAH and stood at the baggage carousel, waiting for my bags. My suitcase with my pistol appeared, but my rifle case did not show. I waited until the carousel shut itself down. My rifle case wasn't there.

I went to see a Continental Airlines baggage agent. She checked her computer system and verified that my rifle made the trip. She said that firearms are usually taken to the baggage office as soon as they arrive.

I went to the baggage office and signed in. An office baggage agent offered assistance. I explained the situation with my missing rifle case. She said, "Come to my desk and we'll take a look."

On the way to her desk, I sighted my rifle case, sitting beside someone's desk. "That's it," I said. She checked my baggage receipt and said, "That was easy."
I took my rifle case and departed, wondering why my pistol luggage wasn't taken to the baggage office when it first arrived.

This was the quirkiest gun gun trip I've had.