Well known gliding vicar Toby Jones, a long-time member of the RAF Shawbury Gliding Club, has recently passed his basic instructor rating and the club is now delighted to be able to offer aerial blessings, believed to be a first for UK Gliding.  Rev’d Toby said “When I started my instructor training it was with the express intent of widening my ministry and to be able to offer this unique service is the fulfilment of my wildest dreams.”

Flying with Rev’d Toby, known as the Flying Vicar and seen below with local parishioner Ossy, supplicants will be able to choose from a number of packages, each of which offers unrivalled views over Shropshire and the surrounding areas. 

Your journey starts with a pre-flight briefing with Rev’d Toby when there will also be ample time to complete a free Will form at the launch point.  Your comfort, safety and welfare is our top priority and for those of a more nervous disposition, a parachute is provided for every flight which you put on before climbing into the front seat of the cockpit where you get the “Chapel with a View”.  Once settled in you will be towed to your chosen height of blessing.

Whilst the blessing takes place during the course of the flight, it will be accompanied by surround sound especially selected by Rev’d Toby as appropriate for the themed occasion.   However, we do cater for request plays, amongst which we recommend “Eight Miles High” released by The Byrds in 1966, and which reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.The surrealistic lyrics of “Eight Miles High” effectively summed up a drug trip that took place during a flight to London that year. Another great track is Eric Idle’s “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” which, co-incidentally, figures at No3 in the Co-op Funeral music chart and is always guaranteed to raise a smile.

At the end of the flight, for those so inclined a small collection box is mounted inside the cockpit, alternatively givers can tap out at the launch point.  Souvenirs of your flight and blessing are also available at the launch point.

Our fixed price themed packages include:

Spreading of Loved ones Ashes

Other fulfilling packages are available, including the aerial spreading of cremated remains over your chosen Shropshire landscape, a fantastic way to meet a loved one’s last wishes.  Aerial scattering of ashes has been done by plane, helicopter, hang glider, sky-divers and hot air balloon.  Now we add the first ceremony where a member of the clergy both pilots the aircraft and says a blessing as the ashes are released.  Rev’d Toby has already received a large number of enquiries.

At the launch point the ashes of your loved one will be compressed to fit into the carbon-fibre Wingtip Electronic Ash Dispenser (WEAD), one on each wingtip.  Once the device is energised at height by Rev’d Toby you get to choose the point of ejection by pressing the big red WEAD button on the instrument panel in front of you.  Themed music accompanies the ceremony with “Ashes to Ashes” by David Bowie selected as appropriate to the occasion that was written, some suggest, when Bowie was probably in recovery after his heroin escapades in the mid-70s at which point he was at a really low stage during recovery from addiction; it sums up all the worst elements of drug abuse.

It’s ashes away as a delighted passenger Ian, above, gives a big thumbs up to Rev’d Toby after successfully pressing the WEAD button.

At £308 this incredible package also includes the fee of £108 payable to the Flying Vicar for the disposal of cremated remains.

We hope that you find attractive this unique service and look forward to seeing you.  More details, together with full terms and conditions, can be found on the club website at https://www.rafshawburygc.co.uk/aerial_blessings