Aerial Ashes is a British multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle company founded in 2019 in Christchurch, Dorset.[1][2]
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Death care |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Founder | Christopher Mace |
| Headquarters | Christchurch, Dorset |
Area served | United Kingdom |
| Owner | Matt Young |
| Website | www |
History
editAerial Ashes was started by Christopher Mace, a helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force. Mace was asked to scatter the ashes of ex-RAF airmen over the sea, creating meaningful experiences for families. After refining techniques for optimal scattering, he retired and founded Aerial Ashes.[3] The company uses drones with modified load boxes to release cremation ashes at chosen locations, offering a respectful, innovative service.[4][5]
In March 2021, Aerial Ashes was the first and only company in the UK granted an operational safety case by the UKS Civilian Aviation Authority to scatter cremated ashes by drone.[6][7][8]
In 2022, the company teamed up with A.W.Lymn The Family Funeral Service and gained a much greater reputation, being featured in The Telegraph and BBC, where Mace commented that the idea of founding the company came about after scattering the ashes of ex-military personnel at sea, assuming that each person wanted to be scattered in a specific place.[9][10] The company was influential in countries such as Spain, where other companies chose to provide the same services, and it also caught the attention of the country's authorities.[11] This year, British funeral home JC Atkinson also teamed up with Aerial Ashes to include the services provided in its catalogue.[12][13]
In April 2024, Matt Young purchased the company and moved to a multi-site operation providing service throughout the UK, including Scotland.[14][15] In this year, the media described the project as a "touching farewell to a loved one".[16][17] In that year, the company also offered the private beaches of Beachy Head and Seven Sisters.[18]
References
edit- ^ "AERIAL ASHES LTD overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Sky's the limit: Co-op set to use drones to scatter ashes". www.co-operative.coop. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Why mourners are opting to scatter ashes by drone". BBC. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Funeral firm offering to scatter loved one's ashes in the sky from a DRONE". The Northern Echo. 2022-08-13. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Dropping Ashes Of Loved Ones By Drone Over Land Or Sea". dronexl.co. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ Shah, Saqib (2022-11-08). "Death from above: Co-op lets mourners scatter ashes by drone in UK first". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Legal Requirements - Aerial Ashes". Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ BBC (2022-11-06). "Why mourners are opting to scatter ashes by drone". Capital News. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ Torre, Berny (2022-11-06). "UK firm offers relatives the chance to have their loved one's ashes scattered by drone". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Scattering ashes by drone - Fenix". Fenix Funeral Directors. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ García, Victoria (2022-11-09). "Drones que esparcen las cenizas de familiares muertos: la última moda en Reino Unido que ya vigilan las autoridades | Internacional | Actualidad". Cadena SER (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "JC Atkinson offers ashes scattering by drone". FSJ - Funeral Service Journal. 2022-10-31. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Aerial Ashes win support from JC Atkinson with launch promotion at the National Funeral Exhibition - Aerial Ashes". 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Ashes of loved one scattered by a drone in Sandbanks". Bournemouth Echo. 2024-08-08. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "BBC Radio Solent - BBC Radio Solent, Would you scatter your loved one's ashes by drone?". BBC. 2024-08-27. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Drone helps 'adventurous' 93-year-old 'go out in style'". Independent.
- ^ "'Adventurous' 93-year-old goes 'out in style' as ashes scattered by drone". The Irish News. 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Discover a new way to scatter ashes with Aerial Ashes". Beachy Head. 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-10-03.