To give you some background on my personal experience, I’ve been traveling in a manual folding wheelchair for twenty something years. In that time, I've been on at least 60 flights, some short one hour hops and some all-day marathons. I’ve been to places as far north as the 32 parallel in Manitoba, Canada, and all the down to southern Argentina in South America.

In all those trips, I have never had one bad experience that neither made me want to avoid airline travel nor stop flying all together. I fly mainly Southwest, Continental and Northwest, but I’ve used several others like Air Canada, Aero-Mexico, Air Tran, America West, etc., and I’ve been on every sized plane from the big 747’s to the little puddle jumping prop planes. Every case airline and staff was knowledgeable and ready to take care of me and my chair. I use a manual chair and it has never been damaged throughout my traveling career.

Mobility Air Transport (MAT) is a non-profit organization dedicated to making air travel more accessible, convenient, and comfortable for persons using wheelchairs and their travel companions. MAT is developing a nationwide air taxi service made up of specialized aircraft modified for accommodating passengers with wheelchairs (manual or powered) and travel companions such as family members and assist animals.

BELOW - Information on flying with an electric chair from famed author Tiffiny Carlson and some basic tips I've collected over the years.

Hi everybody. My name is Tiff and I’m also a C6 quad from a diving accident in 1993. I dove, broke my neck, drowned, came back to life, and have since (!!)…. learned to move on. And because of my spinal cord being torn, I use a wheelchair. It’s like a storm went through and knocked down the power lines to my house. Sorta.

I created a site called Beauty Ability, which is a tongue-in-cheek NON-STOP stream of info, people! :). I reside in Minneapolis and have a BA in Mass Communications. I’ve been professionally writing for 10 years, and like everyone else nowdays, am always looking for more work. So, if you’re looking for a disability expert who can write your socks off, shoot me an email: tiffiny@beautyability.com.

I’m the SCI Life columnist for New Mobility magazine, a regular blogger on Disaboom, and have written for Lovebyrd.com, Nerve.com, ThisAbled.com, ChloeMagazine.com, and United Spinal’s Action magazine. This past summer, I also had a piece published in Playgirl Magazine (July ‘08) and was their featured contributing writer.

I also travel occasionally. Here is a blog I wrote about what I've learned:

As a Power Chair-User That Flies, I’ve Learnt My Lesson

Print Out Your Own “Be Careful” signs. “Be very careful with this wheelchair!" signs. "You are handling a $15,000 piece of equipment. Any damages will be considered grievous and handled by my lawyer. So please, if it's not too much trouble, HANDLE WITH CARE!"

That’s the sign (one of them), that now goes on my chair each time I fly. You see, I’ve learnt my lesson the two times I’ve flown this year (the first time was to L.A. in June for a Christopher Reeve Foundation event, the second time was for a weekend getaway to Las Vegas in late July): When flying (or with Sun Country Airlines, at least) you simply must print out your own “Handle with care” signs and tape them all over your chair before handing over this very important piece of medical equipment to the lions (and believe me, they are lions). Each time I’ve flown this year the irresponsible luggage handlers (the guys outside who haul your 300+lb wheelchair in and out the belly of the plane), have severely broken my chair.

This is an extremely maddening experience. The first time around they pulled too hard on the harness (aka “the big fat cord”) that connects my joystick to the computer chip that runs the chair. I literally got stuck in the elevator at my posh L.A. hotel and went up 14 stories, unable to exit the elevator, as my chair broke down. When I flew to Vegas, it was my beloved elevator seat that got shat on. They somehow while lifting the chair up, hit the box UNDERNEATH my chair that runs the elevator seat (a $7,500 piece of equipment), making in unfixable. For the Vegas trip, I printed out 3 signs and taped them onto my joystick, my backrest, and behind the backrest; all in the effort to let the handlers know that this wasn’t just another piece of equipment they could toss around.

So when I fly next week, wish me luck! I’m going to print out double the amount of signs with the font extra bolded, just to be sure they’re more than extra-careful with my precious wheels. These are my legs people! I mean, for serious… Yours Truly, Tiffiny

* If you are flying with an electric chair, make sure you call ahead of time and find out what the airline’s policy is so you will be prepared. With an electric chair, there are a lot more things that can be damaged during the loading and unloading.

Put lots of signs on it including how to put into/out of free-wheel, that the batteries are gel (not liquid) and do not need to be removed or disconnected, and that it MUST be in an upright position, and not dropped. Best to put the signs in both English and Spanish (yes, even inside the USA).

Leave nothing sensitive on the chair before gate checking it. This includes your cushion and control box, and of course, no back-pack. Take all this with you on the plane. Duct tape or otherwise attach anything that can come off (leg rests, arm rests, etc.). Put your charger inside your checked luggage.

Take a photo of the chair with that day's newspaper resting on the seat. Insist that they take the chair down from the gateway by elevator or lift truck, NOT by trying to carry it down the stairs (I have seen too many chairs dropped this way).

Once you arrive, assemble the chair and run it though all its paces before leaving the gate area. If you see any damage, file a claim immediately. Don't wait until you get to the baggage area or the curb.*

When flying with any airline other than Southwest, I usually call as soon as I book my flight in order to get an assigned seat on the aisle and close to the front as possible. You will likely be the first one on the plane and the last one off, and you will be transferred to an aisle chair and taken to your seat while your wheelchair is loaded in the belly. (Note - On certain planes, I am able to roll up to the first row of seats close enough to transfer straight from my chair.) Pre-boarding begins 30 minutes before departure and you want to check into the gate 10-15 minutes before pre-board to get a tag for chair. I always have my chair brought up to the plane immediately after landing. Only once in a foreign country did I have to be taken all the way to the baggage area to get back in my chair.

An important thing to know about getting through any airport is that there is no waiting in those long lines going through security. All wheelchair users and everyone in his/her party go through a separate line right up front. Often these lanes will be marked, but if not, the security personnel will tell you where to go and what to do.

Site for rules regarding the disabled and airline travel: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/handouts/2003/11-19-MS/382HITS.htm

(Fun Fact - Best airports to be stuck in: McCarran, Las Vegas or Minneapolis-St. Paul International)