Frequently Asked Questions
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Why
have a memorial service by air?
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Why
use "Aerial Missions" and who are you?
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Do
you have references we can check?
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Do you
have any prejudice?
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I have questions about
cremation. Can you help?
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Can
we request something to be read while the scattering
takes place?
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Are
you insured and is there some sort of guarantee?
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Can one's cremains be scattered by air anywhere or
are there rules that apply?
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May my family or friends and I go along on the
aerial memorial mission?
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Are you scattering more than one person's ashes
on each flight?
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How do you scatter the ashes from your plane?
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Do I send all of the cremains or can I send just
some?
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Can we also have fresh or dried memorial flowers
scattered along with the ashes?
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May I request a videotape of the
scattering or a photograph of the
scattering and the area?
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When will you perform the memorial scattering mission?
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How will I know when the memorial scattering
mission has been completed if we are not there to participate, and can I receive a notarized certificate of the
scattering mission upon completion?
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Do you consider yourselves a nationwide service?
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Do
you give veteran's of the armed services a discount?
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I've even considered scattering my pet's ashes by
air, do you do this also?
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I'd like to send a card or flowers to
someone. Do you have
any suggestions?
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Do I send the ashes to you, is it legal, and how
should I send them?
Some of the reasons may be obvious, although only you will be
able to choose ultimately. We feel when scattering one's ashes by air,
the freedom of one's last and final flight as a human being on planet
earth is expressed. To know that one's soul is free of all
boundaries may be another. To us, the knowledge that
one's ashes are forever blowing in the wind is a calming and freeing
feeling. Maybe the saying, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust, becomes
more relevant. If you have doubts and reservations about this,
we suggest that you consult your clergy, your family, a close friend
or friends, or a professional, to help counsel you with your grieving
and loss in these extremely hard and emotional times. You need
to remember, this is a very "final" experience and in no way
do we make light of this. We have both lost very dear family
members and friends.
Jim and Wendy Howard live in Seattle,
Washington. This is where their business is based.
Jim is a
commercial pilot with over 6000 hours of flight time and the
son of a minister. He works for two air
services based in Seattle, flying land and seaplanes. These air
services are San Juan Airlines and NW Seaplanes. He
is also a nationally recognized rustic
furniture artist. Wendy works for Washington State Employment
Security and is a licensed notary public. She is Jim's co-pilot, and also is learning to become a pilot.
They are registered with the
Funeral
and Cemetery Licensing Office in Olympia, Washington. Jim
remembers
"When my father passed on, we too as
a family scattered his ashes. We summered in the
Adirondacks in New York State and he loved it there. I
remember traveling the lake by boat and scattering
his ashes at many of his favorite spots and areas along the
lake.
What a wonderful tribute to a human being. It felt to
me like we were setting a human soul free, to drift on the
currents of the wind and water." Wendy
and Jim both feel that, in their lives, it is about, "Doing
what you like to do and being able to offer a service to people while
doing what you enjoy." They are both avid aviators and love to see,
feel, and smell the world from above. They love the fact that
they are able to
help others in bringing a fitting release to the culmination of a human
life.
Yes, we can provide references. Jim is a pilot for
both NW Seaplanes @ 800-690-0086
and San Juan
Airlines @ 800-874-4434. Please feel free to call
them and ask for the owners Shane Carlson or Clyde
Carlson.
To this we can very honestly say, absolutely not. We
both have a great deal of love and caring for all peoples of the
world.
Click on our
Cremation
Page and we have included a small list of sites on the internet
you can browse to find out more. You may also want to go to our
Cremation
FAQ's page for further help.
Sure you can and we will honor whatever it is that
you want said or read during the memorial scattering to the letter and
word for word. We respect your wishes with total sincerity.
Our aircraft is insured, so when we are flying, we are covered under our aircraft insurance. As for
the guarantee, we are on our honor to do the scattering mission
in a professional and loving way for you. That we can absolutely assure you.
There are rules that do apply. Our home base which is the Renton Municipal
Airport is located just a
few miles south of downtown Seattle. From here, we are able to reach out to include
in our scattering missions, beautiful mountains, lakes, forests, and ocean
waters. We also may scatter ashes most anywhere but certain rules do apply and we are easily able to accommodate you
in your requests. You need to call or email us for
details so we can apply for the proper permissions for these outside
areas. The cost may vary also if we need to travel
farther. This is all done best by calling us directly. The scattering of cremated remains on state and federal
public lands is permitted on National Parks after receiving permission
from the Chief Park Ranger, and on State Trust Uplands after receiving
permission from the regional manager. We are also allowed to
scatter cremains on public navigable waters under state control.
The public navigable waters include the Puget Sound, the Pacific Ocean
within the three-mile limit, rivers, streams and lakes.
Scattering of cremated remains on private land is permitted with the
permission of the landowner.
We realize this can be
an extremely emotional and sacred time, and we also understand that
you may want to be in the airplane to observe this ash scattering
mission. We are very happy to say that we are pleased to
have you go along with us for the scattering. What some people also do is to gather in a location so they can
witness the scattering from the ground at the time we fly over
and perform the ash scattering. Others charter
another one of our planes to fly in close proximity to us while we do the
scattering in the location they choose. If you would like
to give us a call, there are many options that we can discuss,
and yes you may go along with us!
Absolutely and positively not. Wendy and Jim both are very caring and aware individuals and in no way would
they even
consider this as an option, ever.
The way we scatter the ashes is rather
simple. We fly over the designated spot or area you wish
to have the ashes scattered. We reduce the power or our
plane to almost a glide speed, and open the window. At the appropriate spot,
Jim will hold the cremains out of his window on the left side of
the airplane and begin the scattering of the ashes. This
will usually take about 1 to 2 minutes until the bag is empty. If you wish to
have more cremains scattered in the same
area, an additional pass will take place until all of the
cremains are scattered. Jim and Wendy perform the ash
scattering mission together. Please feel free to call us
any time and you can talk to either or both of us.
It's true that some people like to scatter their
loved one's ashes in many places. This often is very common. If you so choose, certainly you can send us just a
portion of the ash to us for aerial scattering. If you are sending the
ashes to us, please do so "priority Mail" stating
the contents as human cremains or remains. Or you can send
them Fed Ex or UPS.
Mail to:
Jim Howard
10721 25th Ave. SW
Seattle, WA
98146
Yes, we will definitely do this for you at the same
time of the memorial ash scattering. If you have something else
in mind too, just call or e-mail us with your request and we will let
you know if this is possible.
We would be glad to provide a videotape and photographs
of the scattering and the area over which we scatter the ashes.
If you'd like, you can bring your own photo equipment to record the
scattering. We often take date stamped digital pictures and
burn them to a CD for the folks who choose not to go along
with us as a record for them.
We will perform the scattering at your
request. If you choose to send the
cremains to us, we want to be in contact with you so we can arrange
the specifics as to when and where you would like the ashes scattered. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we do receive a few days in which we
simply just do not fly. Jim, as a commercial pilot generally does fly
most every day for the companies he works for, therefore,
you can be assured that the mission will be completed in a very timely
manner at your request.
If you would like, Wendy will send you a notarized certificate within
24 hours of the day they perform the scattering, by priority mail, via the United States Postal
Service. She is a licensed notary public with the State of
Washington. To view a sample of the certificate we will
send you, simply
click here.
Yes we do, and you may send your loved one's ashes
to us from anywhere in the United States. If you're from another
state too far away for us to travel to, we sometime can help in
finding other companies
that perform aerial ash scatterings across the United States. If
you are close to Seattle and want us to perform the
ash scattering near you, please feel free to call us and we can
discuss this.
Yes we do. We give a 20% discount for our services.
Yes, we certainly do. Having had many pets in the
past and a wonderful cat Jack, together, we both know how dear
they are to people's hearts and souls. We will gladly assist you.
You might try either Hallmark
Cards or Blue
Mountain Cards for e-cards. Webshots
also have a nice variety. You should be able to find something
appropriate at any of these sites, and of course if you search on-line
there are plenty more.
Yes it is legal and you will be sending the cremated remains of
your loved one to us at our location in Seattle. In the Seattle
area only, we can also arrange to come to you and pick up the
cremains in person, or you to us. If indeed you are
sending the cremains to us, we ask that you use the United States Postal
Service and send them Registered Mail. Doing it
this way, you will be declaring the contents of the package as
human or animal cremains or ashes and it is handled
differently. They have a specific location for delivery
and pick-up. When you send the cremains, we suggest that you pack them
well in the appropriate size box
making sure it is packaged and taped well. When your package
arrives, one of us, either Wendy or Jim, will physically go to
get the package and will sign for it. If you are at all
unsure and afraid of loss in shipping, then you will need to
arrange for getting them to us in person which is the absolute
best way. We are not responsible for loss during
shipping obviously and in no way can guarantee this won't
happen! Please be aware that there is always this
risk! Now after reading this, if you want to proceed
with mailing the ashes, include in the box
you ship the cremains in, a copy of the death certificate, the
completed Authorization
Form, and a check or money
order made out to Jim & Wendy Howard.
We use PayPal if you would
like to pay by credit. Again, call or email if you
are unsure how to use this form of payment to us, and we will
guide you through it. Please also call or email us and
let us know of your intent to send the ashes so we can be
looking for them in the mail.
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