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I came back from vacation on 8/22/01 and read the following from George about distributing cremated remains. The very next day I was asked to do the same over the Atlantic Ocean off a resort area visited often by the departed. I was amazed a the timing and wanted to thank George for the information. My son went with me and performed the "drop" he was able to look back and see the white cloud behind and below us. He was very impressed everything went perfectly. Thanks George Frank N93306 G/F Alon S/N149 wrote: > My long time friend, Al, asked me one day help him carry out a last > request > for a friend of his. the deceased was an avaid duck hunter and wanted > his > cremated remains flown over the Delaware marshlands and discharged. In > this > flight, Al took the right seat in my Alon and held the remains in the > urn. > At the appropiate time, we slid back the canopy and Al reached his arm > out > and as far back as he could. WHAT A MESS! DUST WENT EVERYWHERE! I > vacummed > the airplane and washed it several times before I felt comfortable > flying it > again. Al was also a pilot and we shared many happy ours of flying > together, > but this flight was a total disaster! There had to be another way. I > asked > around and other pilots had the same experience. I was told flatly, > DON'T DO > IT! > Much to my regret, my dear friend Al contacted Cancer a couple of years > later. He was a smoker, and it took its toll. Before he died, he asked > me to > dispose of his cremated remains over the Delaware Bay from my plane. He > was > dieing, and I could not refuse. However, my memories of the last attempt > did > little to make me feel good about the mission. > I though hard and long over how this could be done in a dignified > manner. I > decided I wanted to do this flight alone, because if my plan did not > work, I > did not want anyone else to share in my grief. > I took a strong paper bag that would hold aproximately 5-lbs. I then > found a > strong piece of cardboard (not corrogated) and cut it to fit evenly in > the > bottom of the bag. I then took Elmer's glue and glued that to the inside > bottom. After it was dry, I then took an EXACTO knife and cut a very > small > hole in the bottom of the bag exactly in the center. Next I cut a > 30-foot-long piece of strong string and inserted it through the hole. > Leaving about 8" at the end, I then tied many knots on top of one > another so > the string would not pull back through the hole. I then glued the > knotted > string to the inside of the bottom of the bag. The 8" access was also > coiled > around the inside bottom and glued there as well. This dried a coupe of > days > before the actual flight. > The morning of the flight, I poured the ashes into the bag. I then let > the > string come up the side of the bag and started looping the remainder of > the > string around the open end of the bag to close it off. This created a > considerable ball of string, which is what I wanted. > I placed the bag on the right seat of the Coupe and after I was belted > in, I > tied the end of the string to my seat belt. After I felt comfortable, I > took > off and flew over the golf course Al and I played so often. Al's wife > and > friends were at an abandomed warf overlooking the bay and I now headed > for > that. My wife, Barbara at this time handed Al's wife an envelope. Inside > the > envelope I wrote a revised edition of "HIGH FLIGHT" on a sympathy card > and > signed it for her keeping. At 300-ft. I flew over them and made a slow, > 250' > climbing turn to 3000-ft. There I leveled off, pulled the carb heat, > opened > the canopy and started a 250-ft descent back to 300 feet over the water. > Flying about 500 feet from the dock and paraell to the group, I grasped > the > bag and set it on the wing root. At the proper moment, I simply let go! > The > bag slid off the wing and DOWN (according to whitnesses). It did not > come > anywhere near the tail of the airplane. I felt a light tug on my seat > belt > and I knew my plan worked. I had my pocket knife open on the seat next > to me > and immediately cut the string. I made a climbing turn toward land and > flew > home. > A whitness told me later, "I saw the bag come off the wing and down. > Then > about 20-feet below the rear of the airplane a "Puff of what appeared to > be > smoke appeared. The small cloud drifted slowly to the water and it was > all > over." > In conclusion, I must add that the person performing this should do > everything possible to have this be a memorable event, not a disaster. > Looking back, I can now add another suggestion. If you have someone in > the > right seat, they can deploy a boquet of flowers at the same time you let > go. > Plan carefully. Plan a flight for the loved ones to remember. This is a > very > humane way to follow through on someone's last request. Plan with > dignity. > Of all the many airplane I have flown over the years, I can say without > a > doubt that the "Coupe" is the ONLY airplane I would use for this > mission. > Goodby Al. I did it right for you. > George > > > > > > _______________________________________________________ > Send a cool gift with your E-Card > http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/ > > > ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8Sid.bAhN69 Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
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