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Meet Milton Vordahl. Washington native. Lived in Washington in 1971.

These guys are making a major mistake not having this open ... TO THE PUBLIC.

I am a different kind of JAG: “just a guy.” But I have had serious reservations about the diatoms paper and the tie particle analysis, to the extent I have wondered if they may potentially have impeded rather than advanced the case. You touch on one of them here: it would seem relatively easy to find knowledgeable folks to weigh in on these issues. Gathering data is fine and necessary, but it’s the interpretation that really matters. So where are the knowledgeable critiques or analyses of these data? It is not cheap to pay for publication in Nature’s public access section. Plus that avenue is usually pursued by people who feel their work is crucial NOW instead of at the end of what can often be a two-year publication delay. Who footed this bill? why the rush? Why not take a fraction of that money to have a couple of chemists/biologists/forensic scientists offer actionable feedback on the process and results? Or better yet, why not go through the “front door” and let the work be fully vetted and truly peer-reviewed? (The process on pay to play is technically peer reviewed, but not in the same manner.) The lack of control groups in both cases raises all sorts of questions and red flags as well. The only real control for the tie was a “Boeing employee.” This is not acceptable. It reflects a foregone conclusion that is not yet earned. How about testing something else from that plane—the parachute straps perhaps? Or the same tie from the same era? Or other items in that evidence locker? Or, if you want to go the RemCru route, the tie of anyone else in that lab? I don’t mean to impugn the person doing the work. I just think that as is, it is incomplete in ways that make me wonder if it helps or hinders, and that if there is confidence in the work, its defenders should want it to be skeptically challenged and refined into unassailability.

That reminds me of an old Wonderhog that showed up at Perris Valley, California circa 200. Since manifest always sent visiting jumpers to Square One's loft, I (as the rigger on duty that day) did a quick external inspection along with confirming that the packing data card was in date, etc. The rig was from out of state. It had no AAD and still contained a round reserve, but scariest thing was its military-surplus, anti-wind, blast handle. Because of hard pulls - when pulling at the wrong angle - both CSPA and USPA had banned those metal reserve ripcord handles long before I earned my first rigging certificate in 1984. USPA had banned blast handles for many years, but eventually dropped that BSR (?) after they disappeared from most American DZs. USPA dropped the BSR to avoid cluttering their BSRs with trivia about obsolete equipment. Anyways, this visiting jumper adamantly insisted that it was his god-given right to jump a blast handle. After a half-hour of debate (including the visiting jumper, an instructor from PV Skydiving School and myself) he still insisted that he wanted to jump with his blast handle. I even offered to install a more modern D-handle ripcord for free and he still refused. Eventually, the instructor and I quit in frustration. The visiting jumper reminded me of modern "sovereign citizens" who insist long and loud about their god-given right to operate differently than the rest of society. GRRRRRRRR!

Without Ullis, how else would we know that Cooper was actually a blue-eyed, blond-haired, light-skinned, huge-eared, pointy-chinned, finger-missing grandpa from Pittsburgh? Sneaky of that guy to change literally every aspect of his appearance, right down to face shape and a missing digit, to pull off this caper. That crafty criminal!

No, just somebody there posted today's itinerary on twitter..

You raise important questions. I cannot speak for Tom. Tom's websites are publicly available: https://www.tomkaye.com/ Only Tom can speak to how his work is being funded, etc. A number of FBI 302s released to date, document lab working being done in the Cooper case. Detailed Lab work reports are apparently not going to be released. Snippets of reports concerning lab work must be assembled in order to gain a better picture of what certain areas of Lab analysis is saying. We seem to be missing comprehensive Lab reports, if they exist at all ? Maybe Tom or Larry Carr can address that. Tom has the unenviable task of trying to explain his work and forensic matters to a public audience. I dont envy anyone put in that role! That role has become untenable at times in what has been termed: The Cooper Vortex! Accuracy and science is sometimes sacrificed in that process, inevitably. Facts and opinions and conjectures all get mixed in this vortex. No single person can even hope to manage all of that, much less Tom Kaye, SA Larry Carr, or anyone else! In that context, specific scientific issues usually rise back to the surface as unanswered, and I think that is where we are today ... so be patient! Nothing is free in this world. Is a thing an alloy or not? There are standard tests that should be conducted to answer that question to a reasonable level of certainty, acceptable to a critical audience. I dont know what tests have even been run ... since Eric Ulis says its an alloy, ask Eric Ulis to produce his Lab tests for public scrutiny ? I mean it's one thing to run a CooperCon because of public interest; it's another thing to do actual science.

Do the tandem. Over the last 40 years, I have taught with all the popular methods: static-line, IAD, tandem and accompanied freefall. But I can only count on one hand the number of first-jump students that I have done AFF with. Few Canadian schools offer first-jump AFF. Instead, they offer a mixture of tandem, IAD, tunnel and accompanied freefall. Tandem is "best" at helping students over all the emotions of a first jump. IAD or static-line is "best" at teaching canopy control. Tunnels are "best" at teaching the basics of stable freefall. AFF combines all those skills. No single method is "best." Rather, each method is "best" during one phase of training. I even worked a few days at a skydiving school in Ontario where they offered first-jump AFF, but they slipped a "free" tandem jump into the program.Typically students spent the morning in the classroom. At lunchtime, they did their "free" tandem, then practical ground school exercises (rehearsals) all afternoon followed by an AFF jump in the evening. I also worked at an American skydiving school that offered first-jump AFF, but Saturday's ground school always ran late, so they had to come back Sunday morning to jump. Most of those AFF students said - after landing - that they were borderline overwhelmed and wished that they had started with a tandem. Your emotions are perfectly normal. Even the brightest and bravest students (think US NAVY SEALS) are often emotionally overwhelmed as they approach the door. A simpler dive with help you get over that emotional hurdle with less risk.

Oh, I'm not moving on until we have our answer, but I am ready for that to happen. I love a good mystery, and this has been a damn good mystery. But ultimately, I want the conclusion. Sorry to hear that we are football enemies. But there's always room over here on the bandwagon if you ever want to follow the words of the great Jim Morrison and break on through to the other side!

I sent a similar era same material, Dacron Polyester Pennys clip on tie to Tom for control testing... but his machine has been broken..

Also, I think it's worth saying that if Petersen is the best suspect from RemCru, then there are no suspects from RemCru.

He certainly has his share of detractors. Personally, I respect anyone that rolls up their sleeves and tries to solve this thing. That's not me. I a fan of the case and nothing more. For that reason I think it would be somewhat hypocritical for me to pass judgement on those who are trying. Admittedly, Eric puts a lot of things out there, theories and such, that I absolutely do not agree with. I'm not impressed with his latest suspect at all. But unless someone just goes way beyond logic and reason (Blevins, Colbert, Weber), I try not to be too judgmental. Oddly enough, those are usually the ones that get very defensive when people don't agree with them. I'm ready to move on though, so someone needs to hurry and solve this thing!

It seems that most of the media picking up on it are local or regional affiliates that are hungry for a "soft" story with the anniversary approaching, not to mention Coopercon. These aren't really investigative reporters so to speak. EU being the face of Coopercon who has some TV notoriety dove tails nicely into the need for the local media to put out an annual story from a somewhat "vetted" figure. They need a story, EU/Coopercon needs the press and it is what it is I guess...that's just my two cents as to why they run with it without much scrutiny. Regarding the alloy or no alloy and what Tom Kay has said. I think pretty much everyone respects the overall work that Tom has done, he's doing this all pro bono. He is prudent and keeps his cards VERY close to his chest, only shares public information when he has something backed with data, he doesn't really share publicly what he is or isn't working on regarding this case. But some people have communication channels to him and have asked him to comment and clarify from time to time. I did a cursory search on the dbcooperforum and couldn't find any comment from Tom on this topic. If Tom has made statements that he isn't convinced that the TiSb particle is an alloy, I wonder why it is that he has not been able to draw a definitive conclusion on this question--as Georger mentioned, he has a community that he can draw on. I would think that the right scientist could determine in relative short order if this is an alloy or not, but perhaps it is more complicated than I am giving it credit for. Maybe some more information will come out at Coopercon ? Tom is there and perhaps "the" main headliner, (I have read reports that Larry Carr will not be in attendance). While I am not holding my breath for any videos to be made public, hopefully anything new and interesting will start trickling out...

The fact that you have a good healthy fear of skydiving probably means you'll end up being quite good at it. I was in the same boat though too man. Had to ride down my first few static line jumps because of fear, now I'm most of the way towards 1000 jumps. I'd suggest you push through these early days, what awaits you on the other side is so much bigger than a couple sweaty palm 182 rides.

Good points! !!! How did I miss this So, can any of the particles be dated ? Due to their nature, magnetic, or radio active properties, or date of manufacture ? That would be interesting... the tie was manufactured in the early sixties (63?), and sold 64-65 I think FJ said. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. What can we do with this? Could the magnetic properties of these particles point us to where the tie was made, sold, or possessed by Cooper ?

You left out 'Barb Dayton' !

Teletype was edited to exclude non Flight 305 traffic.

Well, to be fair it's a very niche topic and no one really knows any better. I remember years ago seeing some news show apologize for the "life hack" guy they had had on a week or two before. Apparently nothing he said was legit; he was either in over his head or a straight up hoaxer. But who would know any different? Some guy says he's an expert and here's the best way to cut a bagel, you go "OK," and maybe you try it or maybe you don't. It's like that with this case. How many people actually know any better? Maybe 15 in the country--none of whom are the targets of that press conference? All Ullis has to do is throw out terms like "evidence" and "patent" and "particles" and "electron microscope," plus call himself...what was it? Historical researcher or something?...and people just sort of take it as so until proven otherwise. Petersen, however, is not unlikely to be the "proof otherwise." I'm not sure a worse suspect has ever been seriously proposed from inside the house. I get the outsiders trying for G. Gordon Liddy or Henry Kissinger or whoever; might as well see if that spaghetti sticks to the wall. But for someone who theoretically "knows better" to try and sell Petersen as a viable option...self-destruction, I think.

I always wondered if there would be enough flex in a roll up jump door to be able to kick it out. The aluminum L brackets typically used do look fairly solid, but maybe over a few feet of width on a typical jump door, there would be just enough flex to pop one side of the plexiglas out of its channel. I dunno. One wouldn't want them so light weight that after wear and abuse and accidental bumps against them, that they start coming half out and flailing around. Kicking the rollup door open is just something one doesn't have the opportunity to test at a DZ, unless one is really good at getting out of town fast and never coming back.

Looking into Rem Cru is not a problem.. I have gone down so many crazy rabbit holes that didn't pan out I can't even remember.. But this suspect is not Cooper.. he doesn't match Cooper's description or profile, he doesn't have the protruding lower lip, there is really nothing there other than he worked with some exotic metals that might match a few particles on the tie. I also have some evidence not released publicly that he does not match... The media is a sucker for a good narrative and Ulis is a great salesman.. Look at all the press he got for Sheridan for years and a History Channel program all bogus.. all nonsense..

I’m starting to think Elon should be considered to be another “stable genius”.

It is somewhat surprising that the media were so willing to run with it. I respect Ulis more than most of this group, I imagine, but this is essentially a self-taught hobbyist naming a long-deceased metallurgist as a suspect in the crime of the century, and the mainstream media (which I also respect more than most probably do) just took it at face value and ran with it. The Oregonian treated it like a scoop, getting "the drop" the day before Ulis's press conference. No one challenged him on his underlying conclusions regarding Rem-Cru and the science. Again, to reiterate: I think that Rem-Cru is a worthwhile lead and that Petersen is even a worthwhile "person of interest." The cat should have stayed in the bag longer, though, or, once, out, scrutinized more closely.

I just had to share this:

The ability to redistrict like that is just utterly broken. It feels like it should be illegal to do that and totally disenfranchise the people who won’t vote for you. After burning the electoral college down, gerrymandering needs to be the next thing to go.

Lack of peer review or skeptical analysis is one weakness. IMO the sort of stubborn avoidance of control groups for either of the analyses is also untenable. Together they are grounds for disregarding the results until real review and control are incorporated. There's a "me or your lying eyes" approach that has kept me a diatoms-and-particles skeptic until real scientific work is done on both. Would it really have been so hard to dip a piece of paper in the actual water we're talking about and see what the diatom profile was? Instead we dropped money in a fishtank? Not a fan.

Don't know. Maybe the door would still work fine. I once flipped, rolled, and skidded on it's roof a '53 Chevy down a mountain road. It was well crushed, for sure. When it came to a halt I kicked out a window before thinking to try the door which opened easily. But I don't count on that luck with jump doors. I think they should kick out regardless of condition. Obviously, there's no guarantee.

Which makes me want to ask if that is any different from a regular door in a small aircraft after the frame has been twisted?

Yep, but all roll up Lexan doors need to be designed and built properly. I've spoke to this here before so will avoid the details but more than an ease of operation thing it's a safety thing. Most Lexan jump doors in use in Skydiving cannot be kicked out in an emergency. That's an industry wide problem.

Years ago I took pride in my hunting prowess.That ended one afternoon when my dog picked up a limit of wounded ducks on our way to the blind. Actually, there was a worse thing. No matter, except for home defense and gophers I am getting shed of all of my guns just to be less a part of our national silliness.

Again? This one is junkier than the last one.

Depends who they were. If it was a cop? Fine by me. If it was a a DZ packer I can think of? Absolutely not.

Hi folks, Here's one to talk about: Why Tho? Readers weigh in on how they’d deal with guest bringing a gun to a party - oregonlive.com Thoughts if it were your home? If it were my home, they would be told to leave. Jerry Baumchen

Do the tandem. It will be fun, you can air it out with someone else handling the technical stuff, you'll be introduced to the sky and you'll get hands-on instruction on steering and flaring. A typical progression is at least two tandems which is more instruction time on steering and landing. No shame there doing the tandem.

That reminds me of this: