I voted 'other' because there's no inconsistency.
If the ship always arrived early, then how did the Kents find the ship in the first place?
This is time-travel for you (all 'timey-wimey', as Doctor Who fans will know
). The Kents found it because - even before it happened in Clark's timeline - older-Clark went back in time and flew off to create a flash of light so his parents would see it and think they'd seen the ship land. If he hadn't created that flash of light, then there'd have been a paradox.
So, yes, the ship always arrived early, and Clark was always the one who'd made that flash of light that attracted his parents' attention. He just didn't know until the events of TF that he did it.
Wendy
