scattering ashes from aeroplanes

[spitfire747]

quick question tried a search but did not find anything..

someone phoned up the club asking if they could go up in an aeroplane and scatter their husbands ashes, a former member of 20 yrs, over countryside he used to fly over.

not knowing the answer i said i would maybe make some enquiries...

I presume written permission may have to come from the CAA..

is it allowed
who needs to be asked or informed.

would it be classed as ariel work

could i solo hire an aeroplane and scatter them personally

[one-punch-mickey]

I should be careful with this if I were you as it's very likely that the ashes will blow back into the cockpit!

There is a guy somewhere in the Uk who specialises in doing this with a biplane, equipped with some sort of device for releasing ashes safely. can't remember where though.

[cavortingcheetah]

:) I wouldn't bother to ask anyone at all. Just up go and do the deed. If you ask about it, someone will be a nuisance.
But yes indeed, have a thought as to the delivery system. Blow back would be messy and embarassing.:oh:

[spitfire747]

i was thinking of the ashes in some sort of tissue paper like you buy in art shops that you can hold arm stretched out of the window of a C172 and then release to the wind

just wondered about what was required think the caa need to give permission according to the site it is FREE

Thanks

[IO540]

I've seen human ashes and there can be a LOT of it. If you get the genuine whole lot, it's enough to fill a Sainsbury shopping bag. Unless one can feed it out through some sort of funnel, it has the potential to make a huge mess in the cockpit. There are also large pieces in there (bone, nails) which won't pass through a small hole. And if the cockpit pressure is only slightly below the outside (isn't it normally?) the stuff will blow back.

Just thought you'd all like to know this :O

[provo]

The only reference I could find is article 48 ANO? which states that articles/animals not permitted to be dropped so as to endanger persons etc...
As others have said expect some to blow back into the a/c - I speak from experience

(Am I right in assuming IR at Carill?)

[BigEndBob]

Use cardboard tube and venturi effect sucks them out.

[IRRenewal]

Don't underestimate the paint stripping effect of ashes. It is very abrasive.

I believe people sometimes used to tape a paper bag to the wing/flap, in such a way that lowering the flap would tear the bag and release the ashes. Would solve the blowback problem, but have never tried this myself.

[nipper1]

In general, it is best not to give persons in authority the opportunity to say 'no'.

Lots of 'things' go on that nobody who is not involved ever knows or cares about.

[Milt]

It's what I want done with what's left of me on my way to the big hangar in the sky.

At least the ashes will serve a useful purpose as they become condensation nucleei and some needed rain may fall on the dry land I leave behind.

[Julian]

Mate of mine flew a Seneca which was chartered by some people to scatter ashes over Catalina Island. Unfortunately they didnt get the delivery method quite right and most of their mate came back with them stuck to the tail!!!!

Julian.

[BingoWings]

I would just go ahead and do it, just make sure you get it all out and there are no big bits in it!

On the idea of the scattering of ashes, I would like to be injected through an engine so I can be sucked, sqeazed, banged and then blown for the final time.

[jwd]

Last year I was part of a formation flight together with a Tiger Moth, scattering ashes out of the Moth, over Holland.
In The Netherlands it is permitted without prenotice to any government body, as long as you stay away from built-up areas and preferably over open water.
We made a construction with a piece of plastic water pipe (± 15cm diameter) which was tied to the wing in front of the front pilot and with the end of the pipe as far out of the slipstream of the propeller. On the other end we made a nozzle, facing forward, to generate an air flow through the pipe, both ends closed of by a cap prior to departure, which had to be taken of in flight. It all worked well and it was a very moemorable moment for the family involved. Good luck.

[lady in red]

You do need to apply in writing to the CAA for an exemption to drop something from the aeroplane in flight (article 56 ANO - the other writer must have had an old copy of the ANO!). I did it a few years ago and it was quite straightforward. There is no fee. If you don't apply properly and there is some kind of damage caused on the ground you will find yourself stuck with strict liability under article 76 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 and these days your insurance company may not be very amused by that.

As to the mechanics, my colleague had a special urn supplied by the crematorium with a sliding panel, but it was very difficult to hold in the airstream and a lot of Auntie ended up back in the cockpit. I an sure that a clever engineer could fix up some kind of quick release like the banner towing hook.

[Onan the Clumsy]

That's nothing. You should see what happend when the ash scattering skydive goes horribly wrong :ouch:

[flywatcher]

Out of a Navajo through the relief tube is the best method.

[Kickatinalong]

BE CAREFUL:
An ex student of mine asked if he could drop his friends ashes over a small field where they used to fly models. He also asked the best way to do it?
I told him to place the ashes into a plastic bag that could be torn open after his hand was out of the small air hole in the archer. He took the dead persons 12 year old son with him as that was what Bill requested. The pilot set himself up on an extended final and opened the window put the plastic bag out the window and opened it by tearing it. All going well so far. He found that he had passed the field before he released all the ashes so decided to pull the bag back in and make another pass. (DUMB) The ashes finished up all over the cockpit , the sons lap and the pilots lap as well so they were picking up handfulls of Bill and shoving them out the window for 20 minutes. For the next six months the flight plans all read 5 POB (SOB) "Not a good outcome."
Kickatinalong.
(Names changed):\ :\ :\

[compressor stall]

I have done it. One of the most moving and memorable flights of my life.

Widow was in the back seat as we circled and scattered his ashes over the particular patch of ocean that he wanted to be left in.

Ashes came in a little plastic box, about 4 inches per side, and I had someone else in the front take off the cap, hold it on backwards, then when fully out the storm window remove the cap.

In a tight turn he let them stream out, then after a while, he dropped the cannister (deliberately). The last of the ashes streamed out of the container as it took the final fall to the water. It was that glassy that widow saw the splash from 4000'!

Do a trial run a few days before.

[Kolibear]

I just knew that I'd seen a thread (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=66787)
about this somewhare

[Zlin526]

I've done it from a variety of aeroplanes and it can be VERY messy if you get it wrong (as we did the first time!). Our Tiger Moth still has pieces of somebody lodged in the P2 compass, so at least he gets to fly quite often!

It's probably the only exemption the CAA issues thats still free of charge, and its quite painless to get one. All they want is the location, pilots name and aircraft. GA Department issues them at the Belgrano.

As Lady in Red says, if it all goes wrong (ashes in your eyes etc) and there is a claim, those greedy insurance chaps will be the first to refuse to pay you...So why not do it properly and professionally instead of being gash?

PS, once heard of a chap who threw a whole lot of ashes out of the back seat of a Prentice.....they were outside the aircraft for all of a microsecond until airflow & presssure took over and sent them all back inside...Too ages to clean up.

But I must admit, its all getting a bit passe to throw a cremated body out of an aeroplane these days. What ever happened to a straight forward funeral with normal hearses and a bit of a knees up afterwards?:ok:

[jamestkirk]

BUT

Some of you need to get out more.

Bones, nails, funnels, PAINT STRIPPING QUALITIES!, picking up handfulls of the deceased from the cockpit floor, taping a bag with the ashes to the flap and using a flap extension to release the deceased and my favourite ;
calling 5 POB when 4 live people are on board.

You all are scaring children (and vulnerable adults) with your horrific stories.

Please stop before someone needs therapy or Ricky Gervais buys the thread for his next script.

And before anyone takes this a little seriously (some have a habit of it on pprune): yes, i am only joking, I do not mean to offend anyone and i am sure some of the advice is of use