Not so many years ago one of our engineers was flying from Frankfurt to Cairo. He was carrying a piece of sheet metal that was needed for a project and was a fairly delicate piece due to the dimensions and shape. They would not let him on the plane. He was making a fuss about it and finally the pilot came to see what the hold up was. My friend told the pilot, Lufthansa, that if it was a BOAC flight the pilot and crew would not be afraid of a flat metal sheet. The pilot took it from him, said he would put in in the cabin and told him to get on the plane. Sometimes national pride helps.
