I’m flying back east for the j/30 regionals in conneticut this weekend. Something that’s always an annoying source of stress is whether an over-zealous TSA screener will impound my spinlock harness because of the compressed CO2 cartridge. Which, considering that they confiscate chapstick that’s not confined to a ziplock bag, is a legitimate concern.
What I usually do is print out a copy of the CFRs with the appropriate exception (that an inflatable PFD is allowed by the FAA) and tape it to the harness. It seems to me that the subspecies of Pettious Athoritorio in question might respect this type of talisman of higher regulatory authority.
Here’s the relevant CFR (49 C.F.R. § 175.10 (25)), and here’s an easy-to-understand PDF.