A flightcase is a transportation container used to safely pack and transport anything that needs protection. Originally, flightcases were used by rock and roll

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

 touring bands to transport sound equipment, lighting equipment and musical instruments. Today, flightcases are used in touring, TV, film, military, medical, business and many other industries.

The term flightcase is synonymous with road case

Road case

A road case, commonly referred to as a roadie case, is a shipping container specifically built to protect musical instruments, motion picture equipment, audio and lighting production equipment, properties, or other sensitive equipment when it must be moved between locations, or frequently thrown...

 and ATA case, but while road case is the more commonly used term in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, flightcase is the industry accepted word in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. In addition, unlike road cases, the name implies that the case is primarily for air based travel and freight needs. As of recently, some flightcases are equipped with TSA

TSA

TSA most often refers to:* Transportation Security Administration, in the United States Department of Homeland Security* Tourette Syndrome Association, advocacy organizationbut may also refer to:- Organizations :...

-approved locks to comply with new air travel security measures.

Construction

A flightcase is typically made of plywood sheets (phenolic or with plastic layer, sometimes an aluminum layer). The sheets are kept together using aluminum extrusion profiles and rivets. Composite materials such as Plasti-Clad are used for strong and light weight case needs. Hardware fittings are made of galvanized steel. Handles and catches usually are recessed types. Big and/or heavy flightcases are fitted with castors. Inside walls can be lined with shock-absorbing foam. Flightcases are often custom-made to meet specific user requirements. Single unit production is common, just as serial production. Assembly is mostly done manually. Machinery is only used for cutting the profiles and sheets. CNC machinery can be used to cut out holes for handles and catches.