Scattering Ashes…2 Dead

Warlock

Warlock

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Anybody know what happened here? Seems like I have seen something like this before…

Grieving son, 58, dies while scattering his father's ASHES from plane


https://mol.im/a/11172499
 
Scattering ashes from an aircraft is far more difficult than one might think at first blush, and can be quite hazardous if done incorrectly.
 
A good friend of mine was killed, along with the deceased's widow, as they were trying to scatter ashes from his North American AT-6 over the Columbia River near Astoria, Oregon, a few years ago.
 
I was going to scatter my uncle Allen's ashes over the Pacific near Hoquiam. His ashes were mixed with his wife's.

He was in the Merchant Marines during WW2. When we (my son was with me) got there it was very turbulent and I just threw the canister out the window of my Skywagon. I had some elaborate methods that I forget but didn't use them.

We circled and I saw it splash. Maybe it is better that they are still together.
 
francisco collazos said:
Can you elaborate on this?
Click to expand...

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I recalled previous thread that described one of the appropriate ways to do it. I think it involves some sort of tube apparatus.
 
francisco collazos said:
Can you elaborate on this?
Click to expand...
If you try and throw it out the window it will come back into the airplane. What you need to do is put into some long tube, stick the whole thing out the window and open it up. Still dangerous, stuff can hit the rudder or anything else. Could have hit the prop in the airplane if that's what they were using.
 
I know a guy who tried to throw a cat out the window, but the cat never got close to the window.... :p
 
Best solution I heard is to get a section of vacuum cleaner hose. Let the hose go out in trail of the aircraft which creates a low pressure situation and then use the in-cockpit end to vacuum out the ashes.
 
In 2011, several pilots and I flew an ashes-dropping mission over the ocean near Palos Verdes, CA while we took this beautiful documentary video.
There was a 4-inch hole with a cover on the Bonanza floor. We simply installed a plastic tube and a funnel in the airplane, which worked well. The low pressure sucked out the ashes ( 2:40 in this video). Oh, the ashes were the Bonanza pilot's dad.

 
I build a device with pvc; worked fine.
The biggest issue appears to be failure to concentrate on flying the airplane.
Need two people; each focuses on their own job.
 
Edit: “vehicle” in question…
 
Pilot at my FBO did an ash drop, when he got back he was covered in ashes and it was also all over the side of the plane.
 
Is there a lamer “stock image” possible for mail to use?C20FB162-B1FB-4989-811F-8F207B29C41F.png
 
My mother in law told me when her passing was close she wanted me to drop half her ashes over Sebago Lake, (Maine), the other half over Mt. Washington, (New Hampshire). It’s been years and I haven’t though not without feeling guilty. I always worried about the blowback and of course safety. If I ever do it would be via a paper bag or such that could just be jettisoned closed. I imagine the slipstream would open the bag. I would only do a small amount, symbolic mostly. Most likely I’ll continue to deem the risk greater than the reward. Sorry Mom, I want to see you again, just not too soon.
 
Paper bag (even double wrapped, and a half or third ‘portion’) is still a pretty heavy brick of material. Heavy enough to damage a GA aircraft at Maneuvering Speed… or so I’ve heard.
 
Hengelo said:
Paper bag (even double wrapped, and a half or third ‘portion’) is still a pretty heavy brick of material. Heavy enough to damage a GA aircraft at Maneuvering Speed… or so I’ve heard.
Click to expand...
Hengelo said:
Paper bag (even double wrapped, and a half or third ‘portion’) is still a pretty heavy brick of material. Heavy enough to damage a GA aircraft at Maneuvering Speed… or so I’ve heard.
Click to expand...
I thought maybe a half a cup of ashes or so. Couldn’t be more than an ounce or so, but you’re right. On the occasion I do think about it, I talk myself out of it pretty fast. I got the idea from a competition I heard about where guys would attempt to hit a target by dropping paper bags filled with flour. Don’t recall where I heard that or if it was just rainy day hangar talk. Seems incredibly foolish.
I did commit some of her ashes to the lake but it was by boat. I still haven’t gotten up Mt. Washington. Knees too spent to climb it and driving seems like cheating.
 
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