Body Transport

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rmess24

Filing Flight Plan
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rmess24
Does anyone have any good recommendations for a relatively small utility airplane with cargo doors that could fit a casket? This would be for a body transport business. I've considered a Cessna Caravan but looking for other options as well. Thank you
 
I never tried a full sized casket in a C-206/7 but they will accept a transport casket, which is nothing more than a card board box reinforced with 1X2 trim.
 
Just outta morbid curiosity...is there an actual market for that to support a business? I know most of the major airlines that do cargo also transport human remains on the regular so how do you compete giant the big boys that are already established?
 
Rich (Fluidpusher), over on the PurpleBoard is a funeral director. I think he’s transported remains like this. Can’t remember what he has, but I’ll check and see if I can find out. We haven’t chatted in a while so this gives me a reason.
 
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Matthew said:
Rich (Fluidpusher), over on the PurpleBoard is a funeral director. I think he’s transported remains like this. Can’t remember what he has, but I’ll check and see if I can find out. We haven’t chatted in a while so this gives me a reason.
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He recommended PA-32, didn't have any experience with any twins or a 206 or 210. He did say he got a stretcher inside an Arrow but had to remove front and rear seats on the right side.
 
rmess24 said:
Does anyone have any good recommendations for a relatively small utility airplane with cargo doors that could fit a casket? This would be for a body transport business. I've considered a Cessna Caravan but looking for other options as well. Thank you
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You’ll have a difficult time competing with the airlines price wise.

Plus, you will need to get a Part 135 Operating certificate.
 
Shawn said:
Just outta morbid curiosity...is there an actual market for that to support a business? I know most of the major airlines that do cargo also transport human remains on the regular so how do you compete giant the big boys that are already established?
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I live in the rural Midwest. Currently most remains that come in have to go through a major airport which is still a several hour drive away from their final destination. I'm looking to offer a more direct and personalized (family can escort their loved ones back) transport that can land at their home airport rather than them having to still pay to drive the deceased several hours.
 
Thank you all for the suggestions, this helps a lot!
 
Shawn said:
Just outta morbid curiosity...is there an actual market for that to support a business? I know most of the major airlines that do cargo also transport human remains on the regular so how do you compete giant the big boys that are already established?
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I knew a guy years ago that had a pretty good business flying cadavers in his Bonanza.
 
rmess24 said:
I live in the rural Midwest. Currently most remains that come in have to go through a major airport which is still a several hour drive away from their final destination. I'm looking to offer a more direct and personalized (family can escort their loved ones back) transport that can land at their home airport rather than them having to still pay to drive the deceased several hours.
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With a single engine Part 135 you will have more hoops to jump through with passenger carrying.
 
I used to fly with a pilot that told me of a part time gig he had with a funeral director. The funeral home owned a PA-32 and transported for other funeral homes on request. Almost all flights were at night. Solo. I guess that you could get a coffin in a PA-32, but Cal said that the usual was a body bag on a transportation litter. He mentioned a single incident that happened in turbulence. There were some natural gasses remaining in the deceased and the bouncing around and along with the gasses caused the remains to stir around and almost sit up. Sometime around midnight he said.
As for part 135, Cal didn't say anything about that. I guess because the funeral home had arrangements with others. Didn't dig into that. Odd what a pair of pilots shoot the breeze about in those night flights.
 
Shawn said:
Just outta morbid curiosity...is there an actual market for that to support a business?
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A lot of folks die or need to be transferred in places not served by major or regional or any air traffic. Transfering a body from Cincinnati to LA is not a problem, but from Bugtussle to Pflugerville takes a little more.
 
i know people that do this. a PA32 works well as long as the body is being transported in either a transport casket or a body bag. which is how most are transported. the PA-32 does not have the room or the weight capacity to haul a full size casket, most are very heavy without the body in it. it can be a very viable business if you are in an area that has no major airline service close by, the regionals do not transport human remains for the most part, its a main line only cargo. one caution, its not a job for the faint of heart, it can be a bit unsettling, especially at night.
 
unsafervguy said:
its not a job for the faint of heart, it can be a bit unsettling, especially at night.
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The gas noises and movement didn't bother me, but the smell did. One time I picked up a body in the bush that had sat for 7-10 days.

I kept the window open during that flight...

And meeting morticians in the middle of the night at a small, empty and dark airport can be a little creepy...
TCABM said:
My home town.
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Did I spell it correctly.??

Originally from Bryan.
 
Zeldman said:
…Did I spell it correctly.??.
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Yep.

First time I’ve seen it on a forum where I wasn’t the author of the post.

Lived there from 73-1992; I’ve got family still in the general area and spread all across north central Texas. Son is a Blinn/A&M former student.
 
Zeldman said:
The gas noises and movement didn't bother me, but the smell did. One time I picked up a body in the bush that had sat for 7-10 days.

I kept the window open during that flight...
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Family member working EMS said that this product worked well (back when they had to transport bodies). Expensive though ...

www.neutrolene.com

NeutrOlene Aerosol Spray — NeutrOlene | Odor Neutralizers

This product can be used in hallways and restrooms set with a time variation. Available in 12 cans/case.
www.neutrolene.com www.neutrolene.com
 
When I was running a project in Korea I had a guy die on his third day in country. Very sad, and I had to deal with the logistics. I was scurrying around for quite while until I called DHL. They had a "package". They'd pick up at any hospital and deliver to any US licensed funeral home. Don't know if it's still a thing.
 
Zeldman said:
The gas noises and movement didn't bother me, but the smell did. One time I picked up a body in the bush that had sat for 7-10 days.

I kept the window open during that flight...

And meeting morticians in the middle of the night at a small, empty and dark airport can be a little creepy...

Did I spell it correctly.??

Originally from Bryan.
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Why am I reading this while eating dinner??
 
My previous employer moved a body about once/month in a C207. For some of our pilots it was their first revenue flight, since they couldn't fly living passengers yet
 
When I considered doing this for family (I didn’t), my CFI told me about a friend who did this and the gas escape through the vocal cords was unsettling, with moaning and groaning noises.
 
How do you answer the "souls on board?" questions.
 
I speak from experience. Both parents died in Phoenix ( years apart) airline to Dallas, then ground transport to a little town south of there. Little town has a great airport GA airport. Dad would have loved the flight DFW to CRS, even in the casket ( flew B24s)
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
When I considered doing this for family (I didn’t), my CFI told me about a friend who did this and the gas escape through the vocal cords was unsettling, with moaning and groaning noises.
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Just wait until one sits upright and groans
 
You need to offer some unique niche service. For instance, if you could supply corpses to order, I could give you a list of names....
 
The one time I hauled a body, actually 2, they were in body bags not a box. Made it easier to load.
 
I think some of you are really digging a hole for yourselves, but that remains to be seen. At least a few are thinking outside the box ...
 
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