Frequently Asked Questions

The release of any articles from a drone can only take place with a formal permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Aerial Ashes Tri-State will follow all FAA guidelines for certain procedures, maintaining detailed records and reviewing risk-assessments. All crews working for Aerial Ashes Tri-State licensed commercial drone pilots and keep their own logbooks and are covered by Aerial Ashes Tri-State full indemnity insurance.

Families bring the ashes to the scattering event and they will be handed over to the Aerial Ashes Tri-State crew upon first meeting at the site. On occasions where there are to be no guests present, Aerial Ashes Tri-State will arrange to collect the ashes immediately before the scattering.

There is no limit on the numbers that can watch an ashes’ scattering by drone as long as guests can be situated further than 50 feet from the launch site. Those within that distance must be able to hear our safety brief and launch procedures. Once airborne, our drones will not fly over pedestrians, unless special clearances are granted by the FAA.

The FAA stipulates a maximum height of 400 feet above ground level. The drones must also be visible and within 1/2 mile of the operator at all times; in practice, they are much closer for a clearer view.

The drones used by Aerial Ashes Tri-State should not fly in inclement weather and with winds of greater than 20 mph.

Sports venues are approached on a case-by-case basis. They are privately owned and permission sometimes varies depending on the connection the deceased might have had to that site. For example, golf courses can look very favorably on a request involving the ashes of a former lifelong member; similarly, it is easier to approach the owners of a football stadium when asking on behalf of a long-term season ticket holder.

We work on the assumption that all land is owned by someone and would thus always seek the landowner’s permission before scattering ashes.

The owners of the extremely popular historic sites would be unlikely to approve a scattering due to the disturbance it would likely cause other users. Otherwise, there is some guidance on what is expected if scattering ashes were to be approved. 

“The National Trust does not have a formal policy on this but is happy to consider requests on the basis that there are no environmental problems (ie. possible contamination of water courses or sources, no accompanying permanent or indeed ephemeral markers), that it is not against any wishes that may have been expressed by a donor [of the property], and that the act of scattering the ashes is done discreetly and in private with no interference with others’ enjoyment of a property.”

‘Discreet’ and ‘private’ are the key words here and it is for this reason that many of the events carried out by Aerial Ashes will be conducted early in the mornings.

Our equipment travels boxed and in a motor vehicle so we must be able to drive to within around 1/3 of a mile of the chosen site. Some of our vehicles are 4×4 allowing access through farms, and on forestry tracks, where permission has been gained or across the sand if working on some open beaches.