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Scattering Ashes

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Scattering ashes from an airplane, while a popular way to honor loved ones, presents practical challenges for DIY pilots, often resulting in ashes blowing back into the aircraft or not dispersing cleanly, making it difficult to maintain dignity.
  • Pilots must adhere to Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR 91.15) regarding dropping objects safely and obtain necessary permits for specific locations such as national parks or ocean waters (which also require EPA notification).
  • Successful and dignified aerial scattering requires careful preparation, including ensuring cremains are finely processed, utilizing apparatus to release ashes away from the aircraft, and considering the emotional state of those involved to avoid potential safety risks.
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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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