Wow, I ordered the Wing kit and Van’s shipped them January 12th from their factory in Aurora Oregon. They are scheduled te be in transit for a few weeks, however …
January 12, 2018, 8:26 am
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
AURORA, OR 9700
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January 12, 2018, 4:22 pm
USPS in possession of item
AURORA, OR 97002
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January 13, 2018, 12:44 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
PORTLAND DISTRIBUTION CENTER ANNEX
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January 16, 2018, 9:31 am
Arrived at Facility
ISC LOS ANGELES CA (USPS)
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January 17, 2018, 1:50 pm
Departed
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
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January 19, 2018, 12:45 pm
Processed Through Facility
NETHERLANDS
HOLY CRAP, they are already here!
I thought I had a few weeks to prepare my workshop for the Wings to arrive. What the hell happened to the Post Office, where are the times that you could rely on their tardiness and slow handling. Oh well, I’ll just have to improvise. I guess my Wing took a plane instead of a boat, which sounds more suitable.
There is a challenge however, the destination address is NOT my address, but some PostNL pick-up point. For normal packets I wouldn’t mind, however my $ 8.200 Wing kit weighing over 200kg and measures almost 5 meter, is not something I want to pick up (ANYWHERE).
Let’s hope I can straighten it out before the truck delivers it (at the wrong place). Than again, it would restore the Post Office reputation by delivering my package at the wrong address.
Update [2017-01-22]
Yip, disrespect restored. PostNL is unable to ship to my address, because it went through customs (say what??). However they are also unable to ship it to their pick-up point, since the package is to big and heavy, so …. I’ll have to wait until tomorrow and see how this comedy will unravel.
Update [2017-01-23]
Comedy turned very rapidly into a drama. According to the tracking system of PostNL the Wings are Delivered. According to the tracking system of USPS it’s still in Amsterdam. Let’s see if they can “loose” a 5 meter 100kg package??
So this will probably take just as long as the whole shipment from the US to the Netherlands.
to be continued
Update [2017-01-23]
Ok so it turned hilarious, when I found out what was going on. Turns out the Wings weren’t shipped at all. They are still in some harbor in the US. The “package” that I was tracking was the Wing plans back order of Van’s. Apparently they were unable to ship it with the wings and used air-mail to expedite it. Of course there were enough clues for me NOT to conclude this package was the wings (by air, no payment on collect), however the joy of having them early clouded my judgment. Oh well two more weeks and they are here.
Update [2017-01-31]
Now an update from the “Real” Wings kit. The departure of the ship is unfortunately delayed, so the ETA of the crates is pushed from February fifth to fourteenth. I practice some more in the home-built simulator. Nothing fancy, just an old laptop extra screen, rudder and yoke controls and FlightGear.
Update [2017-02-02]
New schedule:
January 8, 2018
Place of Receipt: Portland, Oregon, United States
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February 6, 2018
Port of Exit: Norfolk, Virginia, United States
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February 14, 2018
Port of Discharge: Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
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February 14, 2018
Place of Delivery: Loenen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Update [2017-02-24]
The Wings are unloaded and past customs. Monday (February 26th) they are going to be delivered (finally).