The Final Flight

Vati's ashes were scattered in the sea adjacent to The Cobb in Lyme Regis yesterday afternoon, from a military Sea King helicopter on a "routine training flight" from Boscombe Down. It was in accord with his wishes, and the family gathered on the end of The Cobb to witness it, on a warm sunny day with a gentle onshore breeze.

We weren't the only people there, of course, but we were certainly the only people who knew to expect it. And at "1400 local" there it was, appearing through the Charmouth gap and skimming across the sea directly towards us. The crew had a flight plan, but of course had to wait for us to identify ourselves; we waved vigorously, and as the helicopter clattered overhead we made eye contact with the pilot, who nodded his acknowledgement of us.

The helicopter slowed, and made a wide circle to port off Monmouth Beach, to the west of The Cobb. As it circled back towards us, its speed slowing and its nose pitching up in forward hover mode, we could see that the starboard door had been slid back and that the winchman was in position, with the urn collected from my mother that morning. The helicopter came back abreast of us; and as we watched a couple of plumes of diffuse grey matter went streaming back from the doorway. Vati's remains, drifting down into the water.

The helicopter made another wide circle to port, coming back to present its starboard side to us again. We waved again at the crew; the crew waved back. Then the Sea King's door was closed, its nose lifted, its speed increased, and it set off back inland over the Undercliff to the west of The Cobb.

The other people on The Cobb who'd witnessed the event were looking at us with some curiosity. But although it was a public act, it had an entirely private meaning, and we felt under no obligation to explain anything to them. Instead, we walked back to The Royal Standard Inn, on the seafront, and had a few beers in Vati's memory.