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Scattering Ashes

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Cremation and the scattering of ashes, particularly from airplanes, have become popular, leading to the emergence of commercial scattering services, though many pilots prefer to perform the service themselves.
  • Attempting to scatter ashes from an airplane presents significant practical challenges, such as ashes blowing back into the aircraft, necessitating careful preparation, finely processed cremains, and specialized dispensing techniques or devices to ensure dignity and proper dispersal.
  • Scattering ashes requires adherence to various regulations depending on the location (e.g., national parks, oceans, inland waters) and careful consideration of site selection, potential memorials, and above all, flight safety, as emotional excursions can lead to dangerous incidents.
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We always thought my dad wanted his ashes spread over Cherry Hill, the family farm and B&B in the Catskill Mountains where he grew up. But my mother vetoed our plans to airdrop his ashes from my Cardinal and said he had expressed a desire to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. And so he was. The ceremony, with full military honors, was very impressive.

But cremation – and the question of what to do with the resulting ashes – has become more popular – and problematic. Typically, a group of family and friends will take the urn with the ashes to one of the decedent’s favorite places and scatter the ashes. For sailors, the favorite place might be on the water and for pilots, in the air above a favorite fly-over spot.

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