Spreading ashes for the family of deceased.

[Alyair]

Are there any tips using the m20 aircraft to perform this service safely?

 

[PT20J]

I have a friend that tired it from his M20C using the pilots window. A lot of it flew back into the airplane and the part that went outside sand blasted the windows. Cremains are really primarily minerals and pretty abrasive.

When I was flying floatplanes in Ketchikan, a family inquired to the company about spreading their father's ashes over his favorite lake. I checked with a more experienced pilot and he explained that when he tried to dump the ashes out an open window, the turbulence around the window caused a lot to blow back and create a dust storm in the cabin. Getting the departed's remains in everyone's hair, eyes and mouth is not what everyone had in mind. He said that one technique that he had used successfully was to get a length of hose about 3 feet long and insert one end in a paper bag containing the ashes and the other end out into the slipstream and sort of vacuum the ashes out. A second technique he mentioned was to tie the bag to about 5 feet of rope and puncture the bag and then dangle it out the window on the rope so that the discharge point was away from the window. I didn't get a chance to try either as the family decided to land on the lake and spread the ashes into the water while standing on the float.

It might be worth conducting a dry run by putting about 5 lbs of beach sand or similar material in a bag and practicing.

Good luck!

Skip

[Hank]

I've read about this, but Arlington required 100% of Dad's cremains.

Others report success by putting the ashes into a paper bag, tying a rope around the bag long enough to almost reach the tail. Secure the rope inside the cabin then toss the bag out. When the rope stretches taut, the bag will break and empty without being vacuumed into the cabin and the rope won't tangle in the empennage. Give it a minute or two then pull the rope back in.

No experience in this, but I thought this sounds workable.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Hank

[Shadrach]

Mooney is not the machine for this mission. I have seen it successfully from a 172. In that case, a closed container was affixed to the pilot side gear leg. Once over the desired area, the pilot put the airplane in a gentle climb and pulled a cord that (fed through the window) that released the back of he container. 
 

I have no opinions as to the legality of said activity.

[A64Pilot]

The hose trick works well, just secure the end to something so it doesn’t beat on the side of the aircraft, on the Maule I secured it to the wing strut. I guess on a mooney tape it real well to the wing trailing edge? Then of course test fly with some Grits or similar, because you want to make sure it will work when it matters. Properly positioned the vacuum is pretty strong.

If the deceased had Crown and Bridge work, then that will be present in the remains and that may need to be handled differently

Edited April 11, 2022 by A64Pilot

[ArtVandelay]

Personally I would attach remains via bag on the tail ring, with some sort of slip knot to open it in flight, no risk of getting remains where you don’t want it.

[201er]

7 hours ago, PT20J said:

I have a friend that tired it from his M20C using the pilots window. A lot of it flew back into the airplane and the part that went outside sand blasted the windows.

I found a picture of what that looked like

[Marauder]

I have a friend who released his WWII bomber pilot Uncle’s remains from his Cessna 172’s window. I asked him afterwards how it went. He said very calmly “My Uncle will always be with me”.

Later that day I saw him with a new shop vac at his hangar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[kris_adams]

My uncle did this numerous times...piece of hose goes out the window.  Hose is attached to a funnel inside the plane.  This creates a vacuum.  Ashes are slowly dumped into funnel and they exit the hose.  No mess if done carefully.  

Now the first time he tried another technique he ended up with ashes all over the cockpit...he didn't bother telling the family about that. 

 

[pinkiedog64]

I used to work at the Mooney factory.  I recall an applicable story that was told there.  I'm probably forgetting some details, but you get the idea.

 

Al Mooney had said before he died that when he did die, he wanted his ashes scattered from an M20 over the factory.  The person who was to fly his M20 over the factory and scatter the ashes would often perform a low flyover at his friend's house who had a grass strip.  When the M20 would do the low flyover, the friend would know the M20 was going to land and stay for a visit.  Al Mooney died, the factory employees gathered, the M20 carrying Al's ashes flew over.  Right over the factory he tried to dump the ashes out the storm window.  They all flew back inside, all over the pilot and all over the inside of the airplane.  On the way home from the factory, the M20 buzzed his friend's house.  The friend went out to meet the M20 and pilot.  The pilot got out and asked his friend for a shop vac.  

[cujet]

Sometimes there is a metal ID tag in the cremains. Make sure to remove that first. 

[carusoam]

There are a few threads around here for some guidance…

And probably some pics of what not to do…

Know the following…

1) It is windy inside the cabin….

2) the cabin is generally under a vacuum….

3) Putting a vacuum hose out the window results in a vacuum being drawn through the hose…

4) Having everything in place prior to flight makes more sense than making it up on the fly…

5) Offset… the more the release is offset from the hull… the more likely the remains, will remain away from the plane…

6) The air outside is moving by at 100+mph…

7) Expect it to be more challenging than it looks…. 
 

When finished…

You win a special award for dedication to your family!

Best regards,

-a-

[MooneyMitch]

9 hours ago, Hank said:

I've read about this, but Arlington required 100% of Dad's cremains.

Others report success by putting the ashes into a paper bag, tying a rope around the bag long enough to almost reach the tail. Secure the rope inside the cabin then toss the bag out. When the rope stretches taut, the bag will break and empty without being vacuumed into the cabin and the rope won't tangle in the empennage. Give it a minute or two then pull the rope back in.

No experience in this, but I thought this sounds workable.

Having experienced cabin blow back twice via Mooney, once via cabin door and once via pilot window, the method Hank described seems plausible.

[Hank]

Oh, don't try it at cruise speed! Slow down, try it at Slow Flight speed.

[Pstone]

One day a friend on mine's widow called and said she would like to go flying on Sunday afternoon after church.

I said sure and we we up, she then asked if I could spread Fred's ashes.  As I was spreading the ashes, a shadow appeared flying in formation. You could even see the Mooney tail.

Fred flew a Mooney as well.  I said to my friend's widow, Fred has decided to join us on this last flight.  It was really something.  Attached is a picture.

Pat

 

PS.  When spreading ashes, put your hand out of the window with the bag (small) of ashes, let it go in the windstream. 

Fred's Ashes.pdf

[Alyair]

Thank you all for sharing. We will be over the puget sound. Western Washington.
Waiting for the weather to be nice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest]

I once spread the ashes of a WW2 Luftwaffe pilot from my Mooney. I fashioned a dispersal unit with a good friend.  We used a length of ABS pipe with an RV waste valve on the end.  The tube was mounted on the left wing root with several large Adel clamps, the valve was operated by a cable run into the back seat.  
 

We took off with his two daughters onboard and flew to a favourite family spot and flew around a bit taking in the sights.  The two daughters pulled the cable opening the valve and out went Wolfgang.  We left as a five place and returned as a four seater.

Clarence

[KRviator]

I did it for a pilot mate in the RV-9. For those who know the RV, you know the canopy cannot be opened in flight (intentionally).

The solution was to build a dispenser "pod" from PVC pipe, RHS, piano hinges, firebergalss to make it somewhat aerodynamic and a pair of linear actuators that bolted to the left wing tie down fitting. The piano hinges allowed you to remove the pod from the hardpoint to load the cremains, motor the door closed, then reattach it to the hardpoint using the hinge pins. By mounting it so the CG/CDrag was aft of the tiedown bolt ensured that even if the aluminium tape used to keep it aligned with the airflow came loose, it would only pivot a few degrees rather than turning broadside if the CG/CDrag was ahead of the bolt. I ran the 2 core wire for the actuators forward over the leading edge, then straight aft to within inch ahead of the flap, then along the trailing edge and up the fuselage under the canopy seal and let his wife motor the door open when she was ready. 

It worked a treat, and I felt it was quite respectful. There was no damage to the RV, very little cremains left in the pod, and that which were dispensed stayed together in a fairly tightish cloud that she could see descending as we did a couple of orbits.

If you want to emulate this method, either get it signed off by an engineer, or don't let CAsA / the FAA find out. As the RV's Experimental and I'm the builder, I could do it this  way, legally. YMMV.