Digital concessions, forests for eternal rest… The world of funerals may be very conservative, but it does not remain fixed for eternity. And for the past year, in specialized fairs, Terra Ciela, a small company from Tarn, has aroused more curiosity than animosity. She proposes to scatter the ashes of the deceased by drone. “Funeral companies need new things to stand out from each other and we are not in competition with anyone because we do not organize a ceremony, rather a ceremonial, which comes after, with three to six close friends at most”, explains Franck Siguier, the founder of Drones Pluriel.
The Castrese SME is better known for training remote pilots or providing aerial images to tourist offices. The idea of the funeral subsidiary came “in a hallway”, during a conversation with a professional. A few months later, Franck Siguier had patented an urn suitable for flight, “light, made of cardboard”. He had also launched his market study to realize that apart from Australia, Spain for dispersion by plane, the funeral service by drone was a niche to take. And above all, he had studied the regulations. In France, it is forbidden to scatter ashes in a public place, a body of water or a watercourse. On the other hand, it is possible in the open sea or on private land, as long as the owner has given his agreement.
Soon a view of Mont Saint-Michel
For now, Terra Ciela telepilots, soberly dressed, launch their drone from a promontory located in the Black Mountain above the plot of a private individual. “We are also in negotiations for land located opposite the bay of Mont Saint-Michel”, assures Franck Siguier who intends to find others “throughout France”.
For a year “more than twenty families” have used drones for the last farewell, By opting for an available slot in the Montagne Noire, for 390 euros, or 750 euros with the souvenir film. But there is a “premium formula” for the ballot box to travel to a private location of their choice. “A local winegrower wanted to be dispersed above his vines”, for example.
Hunting enthusiasts, pilots, or young people who left too soon, by choosing nature, the sky or technology, relatives, beyond originality, are above all looking for a symbol that says a lot about the missing.