Maryland - Aerial Jettison of Cremated Remains (over water)

Looks like the Luscombe boys have it figured out


We scattered our parents' ashes in the Gulf from a boat. The state of Florida requires all ash scattering to be at least three miles offshore. If you're going to drop a container, the state where this is happening will have laws dictating where you can do that, and the FARs certainly have something to say as well. The "ashes" are about the consistency of coarse sand, and there's nothing organic left.

If you can get permission, I'd think you could accomplish this from any of the Cubs where the window opens in flight.
 
Salty said:
yeah, see my edit. We'd need the drag coefficient of the urn, which we could approximate, but I'm unwilling to do so. ;)
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Even dropping toilet paper, which certainly has more drag/weight than an urn, you have to chase it immediately. I've never had it hit the tail.
 
I dropped loose ashes over Lake Michigan once. After landing, we found the side of the airplane covered with ash and some of the paint blasted off the horizontal stabilizer. We used a hose to wash the rest of the deceased into the grass at the airport.
 
Zeldman said:
According to my figures, the urn should miss the tail...

View attachment 121508



A = airplane
B = urn being bombed away
C = altitude
D = weight of person dropping urn
E = airspeed velocity of unladen swallow

(I are good at math. I took the same math class for 3 years in the second grade...)
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Yeuppp me too.... I was one of the 5 out 4 people that did good.
 
There used to be a skydiving operation at Ocean City Maryland that might be able to help. You’ll want to contact them before the fly south for the winter.

There are also some skydivers in Wachapregue VA
 
That's a great idea Justin M. I'll give some calls to skydive companies tomorrow. Thanks for all the responses.

What a rabbit hole. Maryland dept of health has a write-up on disposal of cremated remains. I always wondered where my state taxes went.

It looks like, to do this properly, its a burial at sea. It needs to be at least 3 miles offshore, needs to be in a biodegradable vessel and needs to be reported to the EPA within 30 days (i see it as an opportunity for dad to go on one last government list!)

Now i need to find a pilot!
 
WDD said:
Reported to the EPA? Good lord. Just drop the closed clay pot. The impact on water will shatter the jar and the ashes will be dispersed.
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There are biodegradable funeral urns made for situations like this. The rock salt ones are elegant.
Carpel_Rock_salt_Adult-600x748.png
 
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Rock-salt delivery capsule. That would pickup some nice speed.

Checks the box. Great idea
 
He sounds like he was a fun guy. I'd suggest getting someone to 3d print a hollow fake bomb, and put the ashes in that. If you can figure out how to make a propeller arming system that has the thing open up on the way down, even better. Believe they make biodegradable filament, or you could use wood, or a model rocket with balsa nose/fins. Lots of options to honor his sense of humor. Suspend it from a string if you're worried about it hitting the tail. Test run it with an ash substitute in your brother in law's car at 80mph to make sure the string works/holds.
 
It would be cheaper to buy a drone, load up the ashes, fly high over water, cut power, and crash it into the water.
 
Hello again. Called a skydive company and they said its against FAA regulations to throw things from an aircraft (but, that's their business? lol) They said maybe i can find a private pilot to help.

Is there a board here where i can post to find a private pilot in the Delmarva peninsula or Virginia coast? I'm sold on the rock salt urn if the pilot i find is ok with it.

Willing to compensate for this excursion. time and date is flexible.
 
Baked Potato said:
Are any of them, ever? Or do tail strikes happen occasionally? Do pilots of skydiving planes have a specific configuration that's necessary to achieve before safe egress?
If so, that would be evidence that someone not aware of these items perhaps shouldn't risk dropping a solid object from the plane.
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Yes
Yes
Yes
Dropping something that subsequently hits the tail is a good indication it should not have been dropped.
 
dave5891 said:
Hello again. Called a skydive company and they said its against FAA regulations to throw things from an aircraft (but, that's their business? lol) They said maybe i can find a private pilot to help.
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Sounds like they need a flight review. :rolleyes: I'd be happy to help but we fled MD for NH in May.

FAR 91.15 Dropping objects.
No pilot in command of a civil aircraft may allow any object to be dropped from that aircraft in flight that creates a hazard to persons or property. However, this section does not prohibit the dropping of any object if reasonable precautions are taken to avoid injury or damage to persons or property.
 
Sorry for your loss.
I've done it, both ways.
The flapping bag actually required some cleanup after.
For the bomb drop I used a scaled up bomb drop mechanism from one of my radio control airplanes.
We hung it from the struts on a C-172, secured it with a pin and pulled a string to release it.
The cremains were in a balsa/paper mache model of a WWII iron bomb.
It worked fine.
 
I built a "ash dispersal container" out of a plastic bag and a sock. The plastic bag lined sock had two lengths of 550 cord, one tied to the inside end and the other wrapped around the sealed open end.

The bag would be slowly trailed behind the airplane until it was aft of the tail and then the cord tied to the inside of the bag is jerked until the bag turns inside out. We tested it with fireplace ashes and it worked without making a mess. Never got to use it for the real thing, though, due to family issues..
 
IK04 said:
I built a "ash dispersal container" out of a plastic bag and a sock. The plastic bag lined sock had two lengths of 550 cord, one tied to the inside end and the other wrapped around the sealed open end.

The bag would be slowly trailed behind the airplane until it was aft of the tail and then the cord tied to the inside of the bag is jerked until the bag turns inside out. We tested it with fireplace ashes and it worked without making a mess. Never got to use it for the real thing, though, due to family issues..
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There seems to be some ironic life symmetry using a tube sock to disperse someone's remains...
 
Sorry to hear of your loss. A couple decades ago we (my CFI and I) dropped his mothers (?) ashes from a 182. We utilized a plastic pipe that was placed out the passenger door. Poured the ashes through the pipe. As I recall, it worked well.
 
Ghery said:
Sorry to hear of your loss. A couple decades ago we (my CFI and I) dropped his mothers (?) ashes from a 182. We utilized a plastic pipe that was placed out the passenger door. Poured the ashes through the pipe. As I recall, it worked well.
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I've heard of that method as well as the advisable way to scatter ashes from a GenAv aircraft. The length of tube/pipe protects the aircraft and its paint from abrasion by the ashes (human/animal cremains are actually far more abrasive than the more powder-like wood ash, for example). The trailing end of the tube in the slipstream also creates a low-pressure suction to draw the cremains from the cabin into the tube. That prevents loose debris getting blown around the cabin by the airstream from the open door, which is frequently not planned for.
 
I've dropped ashes from my Warrior twice, both into Mt. St. Helens' crater.
Placed ashes in paper bag. Secured with cotton twine into shape able to go out the pilot's storm window.
Thirty degree bank and bombs away!
It all biodegradable and when the mountain blows again, nature will disperse.
 
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