Aerial Ashes Ltd is a North-East based drone business formed to deliver an ashes-scattering service that can enable anyone to access beautiful and memorable locations over which ashes can be scattered. Formed in early 2020, Aerial Ashes operate over land or sea, at discrete times and always subject to obtaining the consent of the landowner.
The last 12 months of Scattering Ashes by Drone have been a rewarding experience platform for Aerial Ashes and the service provided is gradually being more widely understood in the UK. The transition from trials and development allowed early lessons to be reviewed and modified prior to submission of revised procedures, technical descriptions and risk assessments to the Civil Aviation Authority; this was essential to meet the formalities of achieving Operational Authorisation to fly the Aerial Ashes’ ash-scattering drones in what the CAA term the ‘Specific Category’.
Aerial Ashes’ marketing campaigns have produced a steady stream of enquiries with a good proportion converting to ashes-scattering tasks; noteworthy, however, has been the interest from within the funeral trade. Spotting the potential for this innovative service, coffin manufacturers JC Atkinson are keen to give the Stokesley based drone company the additional lift of offering Aerial Ashes’ Scattering Ashes by Drone as part of their broader portfolio.
JC Atkinson is the largest independent manufacturer of coffins and caskets to the UK funeral market distributing over 60,000 coffins a year. Their endorsement of Aerial Ashes’ service gives a tremendous new reach into the UK funeral director marketplace and onwards to the families they serve. JC Atkinson are extremely enthusiastic about the potential for Aerial Ashes’ service which brings further innovation and celebration to the post-funeral market in a highly professional and fully regulated manner.
This year’s National Funeral Exhibition takes place in Stonleigh on 10th to 12th June and JC Atkinson’s stand in Hall 2 will include one of the ash-scattering drones used by Aerial Ashes. The Exhibition will be the first opportunity Aerial Ashes have had for such exposure to the trade and the event is being seen as a new launch at a crucial development stage for the young business.