Looking for some feedback/experience/suggestions on shipping your model to an event.

This is what I am trying to cover...

I would like to attend Kentucky Jets from July 7-11 and then Montana Jets July 15 - 18. I would need to ship my models to Kentucky and fly out to meet up with them, then send them directly to Montana. I would fly home from Kentucky and drive my truck and trailer to Montana to meet up with my jets there.

What do you guys suggest? What shipping method do you use? Are my jets going to get hammered with this much shipping?

TIA....

D

the bandit will be easy amigo, purchase or rent a jet case and take it with you on jet or ship via Greyhound or Ground freight to Lewis or whomever willing to pick up / receive the jet in Ky. the Elan will need a small crate for her but greyhound / freight is still possible, maybe even as excess baggage. all you have to do then is coordinate with someone in Kentucky to ship to Montana for you after KY jets.

booze or trinkets from Sin City as payment should suffice

Greyhound? I have been to a bus terminal or two...is it really safe?

Trinkets and Booze I can cover!

I have shipped 2 jets via Greyhound and both arrived completely undamaged. I built a couple of pretty stout crates though too. They have a 150 pound limit as well as size restrictions so check their website.

[link]http://www.shipgreyhound.com/[/link]

It is not exactly super cheap but cheaper than other shippers such as Forward Air and what not. I think I paid about $150-$180 to ship my F-16 and F-15, separately of course.

pay for the express shipping (it has higher priority)

I shipped a bobcat to Washington-Canada from Fort Worth for just shy of $100.00

a little higher cost for sure but FedEx or UPS ground works

Forward Air isn't too bad but goes from Terminal to Terminal

I have used greyhound a few times with great success. Forward air is expensive-they now charge on deminisonal weight and you are limited to a large city that has a forward air hub. Usually gets coast to coast in under four days. They are way cheaper than any other shipper. The only downside is that insurance is limited to $300.00. The upside is that some hungover ForkMonkey is not going to either 1) drive a prong through the crate or 2) set a half ton engine lathe on top of your well marked (in both english and spanish but unfortunatly you forgot to mark it in Urdu) "fragile" and "top load Only" crate or 3) drop it from 6 feet high. This is because the crate rides in the bus luggage compartment and as such your crate is going to be the biggest thing put in there with no room for anything on top of it. Also it is all hand carted. Scotty

Greyhound is usually great......however...... I know of a few instances where Jets that were shipped were hung up for a few days at a bus terminal if the driver doesn't feel like putting on the bus, so to ship to KY jets would be no problem if you send it early enough...sending from KY to Montana.... they may not arrive in time!
I asked a manager at Greyhound about the policy and he told me that freight is low a priority.

Just food for thought

OK, I don't want too step on my toes here... but I may be able to help. If you can get the planes shipped to the Greyhound depot in Lexington KY., I believe I can pick them up and deliver to the Springfield/Lebanon airport for you as I will be off work that entire week. The Greyhound depot is about thirty miles one way from my place of residence and the field is about 60 miles away. If you can handle the shipping out to Montana before you fly out for home, I'd say we got it covered. If you want to discuss, give me a call at (502) 839-9215

Ronnie

Ol' Reliable can handle it for you. Just point her in the right direction, slap her on the *****, and fuugggeetttaaabbbbooouuuuttttiiiitttt!!!!!

Jim...another classic from the photo vault!!!

Hey Dave,

Here's what I've learned over the past few years of shipping jets -

1. You get billed by dimensional weight, so go ahead and make the crate super strong - less likely to get damaged and doesn't add to the cost of shipping.
2. Hire a professional crate builder (if you can find one local). I found one and he's amazingly reasonable, can slam 1 together in a few hours and has everything necessary to make it right, and understands loads/trucks/forklifts/etc. You'll have a re-usable crate that can be grabbed by a forklift and should have handles as well.
3. Cushion your models in foam! Can't stress this enough. Solid mounted planes end up with loose formers from my experience!
4. Truck freight is rough, but reasonable, usually 3-5 day delivery is what you'd want to afford to travel cross country. Air is rediculous.
5. Insurance - if its a "used" model, their is a flat rate and they will not go above this - double check with your carrier.
6. Pre-arrange the return! Have waybills with you and a pickup scheduled, makes life easier.

Here are some photos of the crates I've used to ship with, all basically the same, foam center strip down the bottom (Cougar crate has it on each side to cradle the fuse), wings in bags secured against the sides of the crates, stab strapped to foam under the top cross brace, so my crates are all stackable, cause even with DO NOT STACK on them, they will still do it.

I buy the strapping material and plastic clamp-locks (like some use on suitcases) at Ace Hardware, so I can easily sinch down the fuse in 2 spots and the wings as well.

I've started to make internal braces now with certain crates to carry my toolbox and air compressor so I know I have what I need.

Dave,

Great post, thanks for the tips and suggestions.

Just curious - do any of you guys who ship stuff regularly, use any of the tattle-tale sensors, such as the ones on http://www.labelmaster.com/shop/ship...FQZbiAodBkERHA

Dave,

Talked with our airport manager today. He said you could ship it directly to the airport. Here is the address...

Lebanon / Springfield Airport
650 Airport Lane
Springfield, KY
40069

Let me know when you ship, soI will know when it will arrive. I will personally drive to the airport to ensure its safely stored. Jim Tucker (manager) is a great person to work with!

Dave,
How is that for patron service!

WOW, You guys are awesome! You are making it really hard to find a way not to make this event!

Thanks everyone for your assistance, I am going to work it on my end and see where I end up!

Shui, good suggestion on the professional crate builder....I am looking into that today!

Dave you can show your appreciation with a few bottles of Makers Mark Reserve!!

Glen Levit, Fiddich, Campbell....any Glen will do

having a crate built professionally is the way to go amigo. they are fairly cheap and as long as you have space can be used over and over again.

cheers

Space is one thing I am not short on.....

Hey Buck,
When do you arrive in the Bluegrass?

depending on how things shake out at work i'll be there wed night.

Excellent have you talked your bud the Redman into coming this year?

i think the date conflicts with an electric event or trade show??? can't remember

Those dang toy electric airplanes!!!!!

Anyone have any ideas regarding model transport from/to Alaska?

The only time I have ever been able to bring a plane down from here was when I borrowed my buddy's Bonanza.

I used to have a jet located in California and will again later this year but it would really be nice to attend jet events like "Jets Over Kentucky" or Mississippi Afterburner" with my own airplane.