Deployment of Ashes

[Sonicfreefly 0]

Just recently a skydiving brother has passed away from a hit and run accident. The family wishes to have his ashes scattered during a skydive. I'm looking for info. on a device to hold and deploy his ashes in freefall. Any ideas on how to sew up such a device would be greatly appreciated.

[riggerrob 558]

Hi Dave,

I am all over that project this morning. ... have to sew up two ash bags: one for Sylvie and the other for Garth.

Blue skies, black death,
riggerrob

[Viking 0]

whats the general design of an ash bag?

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[okalb 79]

We did an ash jump a few weeks ago and used a large ziplock bag. The bag was completely covered in gaffers tape so it wouldn't blow up and a notch was cut so the top of the bag could be easily ripped off. Once person held the bag with both hands and 2 of the poeple in the 17 way held him while someone else ripped the top of the bag open.

It worked perfectly.

Here is a great picture of the ashes coming out of the bag http://tonyhathaway.com/fotoserv/preview_large.php4?event=1102004/140April&image=042404-01.jpg

-OK

Time flies like an arrow....fruit flies like a banana

[riggerrob 558]

The general design of an ash bag lays on your left forearm. Two or three straps wrap around your knuckles - maybe wrist - and forearm (close to elbow). The entire top is attached with Velcro, so that when you peel it open, all the ashes (5 pounds, 100 cubic inches) can blow out.
Yesterday I sewed together an ash bag that measures 4" x 4" x 8", for a total volume of about 110 cubic inches. However, it looks smaller than the last ash bag (I saw in California 5 years ago) so my second ash bag will be a bit longer.
The limit to this design is the length of the users' forearm (measured from crook of elbow to "crotch" of thumb).

[riggerrob 558]

councilman,

I will publish photos and drawings of my ash bag on this site as soon as I perfect the design.
Version 1.1 will get sewn today.
One - maybe two - aerial burials are planned for the May long weekend in Kamloops.
We should have some feedback by the end of May.

[jmfreefly 0]

Sorry to hear.

For an ash drop for a good friend, Bob Kresge, two years ago, my rigger and I collaborated on this bag. First picture is a drawing mockup, with descriptive text. The next few are pictures of the bag, post deployment, in the rigging loft.

The deployment of this bag is pretty simple:

Two jumpers, one on each handle, hold the bag.
One of the two reaches across, and peels the velcro back. The wind hitting the bottom, streams the ashes out over about 1000 feet.

The bag really doesn't leak at all. Unless you stick your face over top of the bag while it is still emptying, you won't get any on you. (One of the jumpers did do that and got a face full of flour during one of our test jumps of the bag.).

A 5 lb bag of flour was a pretty good test medium in terms of consistency and size/volume. We did some test jumps a few weeks before to make sure things went ok.

I'll try to dig up a picture I took of the bag during deployment (close up).

I'll tell you, though, that being responsible for the ash jump planning, etc. was a huge burden emotionally for me. Good luck to you.

blue skies
j

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

The general design of an ash bag lays on your left forearm. Two or three straps wrap around your knuckles - maybe wrist - and forearm (close to elbow). The entire top is attached with Velcro, so that when you peel it open, all the ashes (5 pounds, 100 cubic inches) can blow out.
Yesterday I sewed together an ash bag that measures 4" x 4" x 8", for a total volume of about 110 cubic inches. However, it looks smaller than the last ash bag (I saw in California 5 years ago) so my second ash bag will be a bit longer.
The limit to this design is the length of the users' forearm (measured from crook of elbow to "crotch" of thumb).

I have 2 ash bags of the same basic design but I make them wider and put a PC handle on the top half. They seem to work well.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[jmfreefly 0]

Here is the pic of the deployment up close.

Miss ya bob.

EDITED To add: One more pic. Here is a photo taken from the ground. The circle is the actual deployment. I am pretty sure that this was just a cloud forming on the ash particles. Either way, kinda cool.

j

[skydiver30960 0]

Great designs, guys. Sorry to hijack, but I have an HONEST question, although it sounds kinda weird...

How does one (if one does at all) deal with the ash residue that may be left over in any kind of bag after it has been used? Do you need to do something "appropriate" with the bag and any residue (burn it, bury it, etc.). Or do you just feel that with the dispersal of the ashes, the loved one's essence has departed, the bag has done it's job, and there really isn't any significance to the leftover ashes?

Elvisio "hope I never have to decide this for myself" Rodriguez

[piisfish 135]

always sad to hear of that kind of news.
That's the way I want it to be for me. Hope it's in many years.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[jmfreefly 0]

Well, a few story tidbits.

When preparing for the jump, our S&TA suggested landing away from the parents, where one can get 'cleaned up' if need be. He related a story with an arm mounted bag and the jumper getting ashes all over them. Quite a snafu. That is one of the reasons we opted for this design to help minimize that. Granted one of the guys got a face full of flour on a test jump, but that was just him not letting it empty fully. Another reason we test jumped the bag.

Another jumper, in reaction to the S&TAs story, said that when they did an ash jump, and got ashes on their glove, they put the glove in a ziplock bag after jumping each day until the ashes were gone. Nice sentiment I guess.

On Bob's jump, the only thing that got ashes on it was the bag. You can see how much it discolored the trim tape. Ashes/remains are a mess, no two ways about it. Loading the bag takes 2 or 3 people to do it without spilling, and I had hoped to do it without Bob's father there. However, he insisted, and he helped us. I just wanted to warn him that we ended up getting some of the flour on the outside when we were test jumping it. He said "well, he's my son, I am sure he won't mind". With 3 sets of hands, we managed to keep everything in the bag.

The bag still has some particulate on it, and it is hanging in our rigger's loft. The parents didn't want the bag, so the rigger who did the sewing kept it.

My thoughts on the spiritual side is that his spirit/essence/whatever left when he passed away. Doing the ash jump was in honor of him and his parents - and in some way to let him fly forever. But in the end, it's just ash and bone and dust. What is 'left' of him is really in our hearts and our minds.


Hadn't thought that much about Bob in a while. Fly free, Bob.

j

[riggerrob 558]

Pacho test jumped my ash bag this past weekend with 5 pounds of flour. JP Forest videoed the process.
Ash deployment went great.
Pacho's only complaint was about leakage out the corners, so I sewed them a bit tighter.
We will use it for really when we deploy Garth's ashes over Kamloops this coming weekend.

[cgray 0]

Super J,

Who was the rigger and where is the bag now?

Chris Gray
Skydive VA

"Very Dangerous, You Go First!"

[riggerrob 558]

Sunday afternoon, Garth's Mom deployed his ashes over Kamloops.
We started by cracking the door early and spreading a few of Garth's ashes over the old Scaddam (sp?) Flats DZ, then we closed the door and climbed to 12,500 feet over Kamloops Airport.
The ash dive went well with a PFF instructor on either side of Mom and a line of belly-flying mourners out front. She peeled the top off the ash bag at 8,000 feet as we bid farewell to Garth.
A second group of Garth's freeflying buddies deployed the rest of his ashes 30 seconds later.
I was last out with Garth's best friend strapped to my chest.
Despite the complicated plan and worries about people landing out, Bruce - the Twin Otter pilot - flew the whole thing like a professional. I was last out with a tandem and exited over the West end of the runway. Can't ask for better than that!
Every one spiraled down to land ahead of Mom and were waiting by the bowl when she landed.
Lots of tears!

[mjosparky 3]

Sounds like it was handled great. Good job and kudos to all.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals