Dust to Dust . . .

I appear to have volunteered for a task I know nothing about.
My friend who owns a Cherokee was approached by a neighbour who advised
him that his father was dying and has asked that his ashes be scattered
from an aircraft over a rural area near where I live. My friend
volunteered, then thought that a high wing may do the job better, and
asked me if I would do it in my 172 - in a weak moment I agreed.

Throwing the sealed bag out of the window is an appealing option for its
simplicity, but I doubt that next of kin or persons on terra firma would
agree.

An open bag, thrown out of the window may or may not empty on its way
down - not reliable enough. Also I don't want the dear departed to hit
the horizontal stab and take us with him.

Tipping the contents of the bag out of the window would, I suspect,
result in the contents siphoning back into the cockpit.

A tube hanging out of the window, with a funnel at the top? That may
create a venturi effect and cleanly suck the ashes out of the plane.

Has anyone ever disposed of cremated remains from a light plane?
How did you do it? All suggestions/ideas gratefully received.


--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

My primary instructor had done this professionally for a while.
His first attempt, emptying a bag through the window, resulted
in the ashes flying into the back and covering the widow and
the priest. Not ideal. He ended up using a length of pipe (plastic
I suppose), as long as reasonably possible given that it has
to be stored and manoeuvered in the cockpit. At the moment,
the passenger threads it through the open window then empties the
ashes down the pipe. This should keep it out of the slipstream.
Of course nobody would actually *know* if the ashes of the
departed ended up mainly stuck to the oil film on the belly, but
it's probably better if they don't.

John


"tony roberts" wrote in message
news:nospam-A53B13.21060101122003@shawnews...
I appear to have volunteered for a task I know nothing about.
My friend who owns a Cherokee was approached by a neighbour who advised
him that his father was dying and has asked that his ashes be scattered
from an aircraft over a rural area near where I live. My friend
volunteered, then thought that a high wing may do the job better, and
asked me if I would do it in my 172 - in a weak moment I agreed.

Throwing the sealed bag out of the window is an appealing option for its
simplicity, but I doubt that next of kin or persons on terra firma would
agree.

An open bag, thrown out of the window may or may not empty on its way
down - not reliable enough. Also I don't want the dear departed to hit
the horizontal stab and take us with him.

Tipping the contents of the bag out of the window would, I suspect,
result in the contents siphoning back into the cockpit.

A tube hanging out of the window, with a funnel at the top? That may
create a venturi effect and cleanly suck the ashes out of the plane.

Has anyone ever disposed of cremated remains from a light plane?
How did you do it? All suggestions/ideas gratefully received.


--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

On Tue, 02 Dec 2003 05:05:57 GMT, tony roberts
wrote:

I appear to have volunteered for a task I know nothing about.
My friend who owns a Cherokee was approached by a neighbour who advised
him that his father was dying and has asked that his ashes be scattered
from an aircraft over a rural area near where I live. My friend
volunteered, then thought that a high wing may do the job better, and
asked me if I would do it in my 172 - in a weak moment I agreed.

Throwing the sealed bag out of the window is an appealing option for its
simplicity, but I doubt that next of kin or persons on terra firma would
agree.

An open bag, thrown out of the window may or may not empty on its way
down - not reliable enough. Also I don't want the dear departed to hit
the horizontal stab and take us with him.

Tipping the contents of the bag out of the window would, I suspect,
result in the contents siphoning back into the cockpit.

I can confirm that this is exactly what will happen in a 172. I'm not
sure we ever got all the ashes out of the back of that plane.


A tube hanging out of the window, with a funnel at the top? That may
create a venturi effect and cleanly suck the ashes out of the plane.

That's what I was thinking of trying next time, if there is a next
time. The tube, if long enough, should allow you to get the ashes
below the level of the horizontal stab. It's amazing how well that
ash sticks to the surface of a plane.


Has anyone ever disposed of cremated remains from a light plane?
How did you do it? All suggestions/ideas gratefully received.

David Hill
Sautete-Nacoochee, GA, USA
david at hillREMOVETHISfamilly dot org
www.hillfamily.org

("tony roberts" wrote)
snip
Has anyone ever disposed of cremated remains from a light plane?
How did you do it? All suggestions/ideas gratefully received.


This topic comes up every once in a while and usually generates some
"interesting" posts.

Practice using your homemade contraption ....with flour. g

That was someone's advice in a previous (How to keep Uncle Charlie from
reentering the plane) thread.

Good luck.

--
Montblack
http://lumma.de/mt/archives/bart.gif

On 2-Dec-2003, tony roberts wrote:

Throwing the sealed bag out of the window is an appealing option for its
simplicity, but I doubt that next of kin or persons on terra firma would
agree.
.
.
.
Has anyone ever disposed of cremated remains from a light plane?
How did you do it? All suggestions/ideas gratefully received.

Threw my mother out over sea a couple of months ago.
Technique:
Plane: Cessna 172.
- Used the urn the crematorium supplied.
- Made a wire cage around it with a grip on the bottom. If you held the
grip, the urn was upside down.
- Made a security line from the grip to the right seat (in case someone let
go of the grip).
- Open the urn, cover the opening with cardboard.
- Open BOTH windows.
- Enter a slip, apparent wind comes from the left. Hold open the left
window with your elbow.
- Let the front passenger (no, not my mother) hold the urn outside as far
out as possible.
- Remove the cardboard.
Result: ashes dispersed, no ashes inside.

I made this flight with my two brothers as passsengers. One flies
ultralights, the other is a parajumper. We thought this was a fitting
family outing.

I was involved in this same ash spreading mission, a couple years back, over
a certain location where a friend use to hunt. I flew the 182 at approx. 100
mph, 10 degrees flap, at 10,000 feet msl. We were surprised to find the
ashes were not all fine powder but had some chunks. The passenger in the
right seat had the baggie of ashes and opened the window, stuck his arm out
as far as he could and punched a hole in the plastic with his finger. IIRC,
the passenger behind him helped hold the window open. It took approx. 15
miles. The comments from him was the air was quit cold and he had to keep
enlarging the hole, one handed, in the baggie for the bigger chunks. I did
not notice any dust coming into the cabin nor did I notice any ashes on the
airplane when we landed. We then cruised the "Rocky mountain range" as they
told stories of hunting with him and pointed out areas where he got that
elk, deer, and other great stories, a very moving experience. We got a
seriously good laugh when it was pointed out the westerly winds might drift
the ashes over the not too popular game warden's house (OT story).
I hope some day this is how I go, "please don't bury me, down in that cold
cold ground...

Pat Thronson



"tony roberts" wrote in message
news:nospam-A53B13.21060101122003@shawnews...
I appear to have volunteered for a task I know nothing about.
My friend who owns a Cherokee was approached by a neighbour who advised
him that his father was dying and has asked that his ashes be scattered
from an aircraft over a rural area near where I live. My friend
volunteered, then thought that a high wing may do the job better, and
asked me if I would do it in my 172 - in a weak moment I agreed.

Throwing the sealed bag out of the window is an appealing option for its
simplicity, but I doubt that next of kin or persons on terra firma would
agree.

An open bag, thrown out of the window may or may not empty on its way
down - not reliable enough. Also I don't want the dear departed to hit
the horizontal stab and take us with him.

Tipping the contents of the bag out of the window would, I suspect,
result in the contents siphoning back into the cockpit.

A tube hanging out of the window, with a funnel at the top? That may
create a venturi effect and cleanly suck the ashes out of the plane.

Has anyone ever disposed of cremated remains from a light plane?
How did you do it? All suggestions/ideas gratefully received.


--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

David Hill ) wrote:

I can confirm that this is exactly what will happen in a 172. I'm not
sure we ever got all the ashes out of the back of that plane.

Perhaps the idea of being with you on every flight is more appealing to the
deceased anyhow...

--
Peter












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This article from AOPA should help:

http://www.aopa.org/members/files/topics/burial.html

Good Luck,

Marco

"tony roberts" wrote in message
news:nospam-A53B13.21060101122003@shawnews...
I appear to have volunteered for a task I know nothing about.
My friend who owns a Cherokee was approached by a neighbour who advised
him that his father was dying and has asked that his ashes be scattered
from an aircraft over a rural area near where I live. My friend
volunteered, then thought that a high wing may do the job better, and
asked me if I would do it in my 172 - in a weak moment I agreed.

Throwing the sealed bag out of the window is an appealing option for its
simplicity, but I doubt that next of kin or persons on terra firma would
agree.

An open bag, thrown out of the window may or may not empty on its way
down - not reliable enough. Also I don't want the dear departed to hit
the horizontal stab and take us with him.

Tipping the contents of the bag out of the window would, I suspect,
result in the contents siphoning back into the cockpit.

A tube hanging out of the window, with a funnel at the top? That may
create a venturi effect and cleanly suck the ashes out of the plane.

Has anyone ever disposed of cremated remains from a light plane?
How did you do it? All suggestions/ideas gratefully received.


--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE



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How about a 3 ft piece of 4" PVC. Maybe you could spray paint it black to
keep it from looking cheap. Cap one end and pour the ashes in there before
takeoff. Once your ready to spread them, push the pipe out the window and
dump.

dunno.


"tony roberts" wrote in message
news:nospam-A53B13.21060101122003@shawnews...
I appear to have volunteered for a task I know nothing about.
My friend who owns a Cherokee was approached by a neighbour who advised
him that his father was dying and has asked that his ashes be scattered
from an aircraft over a rural area near where I live. My friend
volunteered, then thought that a high wing may do the job better, and
asked me if I would do it in my 172 - in a weak moment I agreed.

Throwing the sealed bag out of the window is an appealing option for its
simplicity, but I doubt that next of kin or persons on terra firma would
agree.

An open bag, thrown out of the window may or may not empty on its way
down - not reliable enough. Also I don't want the dear departed to hit
the horizontal stab and take us with him.

Tipping the contents of the bag out of the window would, I suspect,
result in the contents siphoning back into the cockpit.

A tube hanging out of the window, with a funnel at the top? That may
create a venturi effect and cleanly suck the ashes out of the plane.

Has anyone ever disposed of cremated remains from a light plane?
How did you do it? All suggestions/ideas gratefully received.


--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

tony roberts wrote:

Has anyone ever disposed of cremated remains from a light plane?
How did you do it? All suggestions/ideas gratefully received.

Saw it done at Kupper airport once. They took a piece of PVC pipe about 4" or
so in diameter and about 18" or so long and sealed one end with duct tape. IIRC,
they had a small plastic bag to cover the top. They placed the ashes inside and
taped the pipe to the right wing strut where it could be easily reached by a
man leaning out the window. The retaining strap on the window was removed so
that the window could be opened completely.

As the plane cruised by the drop point, a passenger leaned out the window and
pulled the duct tape loose. It seemed to me that he had a little trouble with
it. You could get fancier and cap the pipe end with screw-in inspection plugs.

George Patterson
Some people think they hear a call to the priesthood when what they really
hear is a tiny voice whispering "It's indoor work with no heavy lifting".