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Hi guys, Just thought I would say hi and see if anyone on this site remembers me. Brian Schubert and I are credited to be the "Grandfathers" of BASE, having jumped the El Capitan on July 24,1966, some 12 years before Carl Boenish and company jumped it and named it BASE Jumping. We recently moved to Kuna, Idaho and drove down to Twin Falls a month or so ago to watch the BASE jumping from the Perrine Bridge. We met with my old friend, Tom Aiello from the Snake River BASE Academy and new friend Sean Chuma from Tandom BASE, along with a few other BASE jumpers. I am no longer in adequate health at age 82 to be doing any jumping, but I sure felt the urge to get my "knees in the breeze" while watching it.

There are other verified titanium alloys found on the tie that he was able to visually confirm, so it stands to reason that given all the other chemicals on the tie (all used in metallurgy) that the titanium-antimony is what it appears to be. The issue is that the spectrum doesn’t really have an image attached to it. It just spits out what the particle is comprised of. So obviously we want to confirm that it actually is a non-commercial grade titanium-antimony particle through visual means. Tom’s microscope is currently missing a part that he is attempting to get fixed. So whenever that is done he will be able to search out these particles and visually confirm them as alloys (or not). If it is confirmed to be a TiSb alloy there are only two places in the United States patent record between 1964-1971 that are confirmed to have been fooling around with TiSb alloys where the Sb went that high. Vordahl’s patent calls for up to 18% Sb, and those 3 particles match that well. It was part of an experiment Vordahl was doing concerning the creation of a metal rolling bar. He got the patent for it but Rem-Cru never did anything with it, so it never reached the commercial market, so it wasn’t anything someone would have come upon in the wild. The only other place that has a TiSb patent is an electronics company called Sprague Electronics. I’m not sure what their use for it was, but it also never entered the commercial market.

The Vordahl presentation was professionally filmed. It will be up on YouTube at some point I think. I happened to be filming Bill Mitchell during his discussion with Ulis when Mitchell pointed to Vordahl and just out of the blue volunteered that Vordahl's facial features seem right and that he does kinda look like him given what vague memory he still has. That made many folks in there sit up a bit because, as we all know, whenever he is shown a suspect photo Bill always has the stock answer of "it's been X number of years, Cooper could walk in the door and I wouldn't recognize him." I was able to have some nice moments with him over the weekend. We had breakfast in the hotel on Saturday and Sunday. We were the early risers so both days we were the first ones there when breakfast opened. So he had breakfast both days with Dave Fudeman and myself. Saturday morning he told us that he felt that the sketches (all of them) seemed too young for his memory of Cooper. He said that all these TV programs have always put forward these commandos and paratroopers and how the FBI always showed him photos of these guys and also of skydiving groups, etc., but he never felt it could be those type guys because that wasn't the vibe Cooper gave off. With me he used the phrase he has used before, stating that he always remembered Cooper as this geeky old man with awful hair. He told me during a break in between panels that the night of the hijacking an FBI agent asked him if he thought he could have won in a fight with Cooper and he told them he absolutely could have. He said Cooper was a good bit smaller than him. I asked Bill if he remembered the drunk cowboy and he said he can't recall the guy wearing a hat, but he does remember this obnoxious drunk on the plane who was several rows in front of him who came back and stood near him for several minutes talking to Tina. So he's pretty obviously remembering the cowboy. He said that when they were in the bus with the FBI agents that this same drunk raised his hand and told one of the agents something like "hey, when can we go? I've got to piss." Oh, and Sunday he gave me his email and asked me to send him my stuff on Vordahl, so that was kinda neat. He also told a story about how he was traveling around the Northeast this past year with his wife and they stopped by at the United 93 memorial in Shanksville. He said he was really saddened by it and I'm not sure if he was crying or what but he said a female Park Ranger walked up and asked if he was OK and he told her "yes, it's just that I was on a hijacked plane a long time ago when I was young and I might could have been killed on it like these people and never had children or grandchildren." He said that she goes "D.B. Cooper hijacking? You're Bill Mitchell right?" So he thought that was wild to be recognized on the other side of the country. RPReplay_Final1668903697.mov

There was these two preachers who were good friends and they would ride their bicycles to church every Sunday morning. Because of where they lived, and where their churches were located, they would pass each other along the way. One Sunday morning, one of the preachers was riding his bicycle to church and he saw the other preacher approaching, but the other preacher was walking. They stopped to chat and he said, "Good morning, Reverend. Why aren't you riding your bicycle this morning? The other preacher said, "It really hurts me to say this but I think somebody at my church stole my bicycle." His friend said, "Let me tell you how to get it back. Before you begin your sermon this morning, read the Ten Commandments. When you say thou shalt not steal, the person who took your bicycle will feel so guilty, he'll give it back to you." The following Sunday, the preacher is riding his bicycle to church and he sees his friend coming from the other direction, and his friend is riding his bicycle too. They stopped to chat and he said, "Good morning, Reverend. I see you found out who stole your bicycle." The other preacher said, "No, but when I said thou shalt not commit adultery, I remembered where I left it."

Riggerrob, you are a treasure here. Wendy P.

If your Softie is clean and has minimal wear, you MIGHT convince a local rigger to repack it. Faded harness webbing is often half as strong as when it was new. It all depends upon condition. When I worked at Para-Phernalia (aka. Softie factory) we refused to repack most pilot emergency parachutes more than 20 years old. After 20 years of regular usage, they were usually faded, frayed and filthy. There was also the matter of the earliest Softies being rather crude and subtle improvements had been added over the years. If you rSoftie is only 24 years old, it was made in 1998 after all the major bugs had been worked out of the original patterns. As an aside, I also quit repacking round parachute canopies that were manufactured during the 1980s because to the acid-mesh hassles. Yes, I am familiar with the FAA-approved process (bromocreasol green and tensile testing) for returning them to service, but after testing a thousand or so, I lost interest in the process. When I worked for Butler, we rarely repacked PEPs more than 20 years old because the Southern California desert was harsh on PEPs. National and Pioneer also published retrospective notices telling riggers to not return to service their products more than 15 years old, but that was mainly to ground round canopies suspected of suffering from acid-mesh. When I worked for Square One at Perris Valley, California, loft policy dictated that we not repack parachutes more than 25 years old.

Its hard for me to believe that CC22 wasnt video taped. Is the world going to be allowed to see/hear the presentations? Or, how much $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ does Ulis want ? If these people want progress in the case they are going to have to share what they think or know! These people want attention when they have something to say - but seem unwilling to share what they have. Research is a two-way street. One researcher always remarks: "This is DB Cooper. = Chaos". If that is the only option then . . . . .

well said.

Hey, that 'bunch of gays' was FAAAAAR more effective at stopping the shooter than the ENTIRE Uvlade SWAT team.

It is frustrating that essentially financial resources hold this back. Think about if the Discovery and/or Travel Channel had not jumped in, at some point? Think about if there were not Tom Kaye? This is probably what frustrates and/or fascinates many about this case - the idea that the answers are in reach, given the desire by people or agencies of means to actually solve it. But the ones who have graciously stepped in have only been able to move the ball forward incrementally and arguably left more questions than answers in their wake, to no fault of their own.

I was there in Muskogee sleeping in my van when I heard a lot of hooting and hollering. I opened the door, looked up and saw a bunch of parachutes. I soon learned they had built the 100 way.

The tie particles are being over played... even Tom isn't buying it.. the particles are not confirmed to be an alloy or attributable to any single environment. Ti was not that rare.. the takeaway from the tie is not a specific particle but the wide range of particles.. Vordahl was a PHD with 80 or so Ti patents, if he was wearing that tie it at work it would be dominated with Ti.. it wasn't.. the analogy is to find fried chicken on a tie and claim it was worn by Colonel Sanders.. One source I have been noodling for some of the particles may have been plane's air bleed system.. some of the exhaust particles end up in the cabin.. the engines had titanium fins.. There was also pure Ti ducting around the lav area that was mechanically combined with SS parts.. The tie may have picked up particles in the plane if it was laid down in lav or from the seat, maybe it was dropped on the floor or used to wipe a surface.. A worthwhile test would have been to collect dust inside a 727 that flies with the bulkhead door open and middle engine exposed to the cabin.. but that isn't going to happen. There are so many possibilities I don't think the tie particles will be solved other than general theories..

Hello all, nice to see the famous names from the podcast... I notice some resemblance for Vordahl, but surely the age is a concern? Plus, wasn't Cooper described as athletic by witnesses? Can't imagine many 57 year-old men being perceived/described that way in 1971, unless they're Jack LaLanne or something.

When did rules or agreements ever mean anything to Trump?

Unless it’s heroin or something, I never understand why anybody wants to busybody about what someone else’s hobby may be.

It's the American way right now, unfortunately. Especially when it's crowd-sourced and crowd-funded. Wendy P.

"With Trump, we lose," he added. Pay attention GOP. Don't do the Groupthink shit, don't overthink it, don't think he's out there in left field, Don't look at the numbers without looking at all of them, but you can't help yourself, can you? You're going to fuck this up, aren't you? You're going to let short-term money affect your long-term strategy, aren't you?

1986 Earlier that summer, skydivers gathered at Pitt Meadows, near Vancouver, Canada to try and build a hundred-way. Their jumps were part of the festivities surrounding the EXPO 86 World's Fair. After building a series of 99-ways, they gave up. A month-or-so later, most of them gathered at a Freak Brothers Convention to attempt more hundred-ways. After building a series of 99-ways, they adjourned to the USPA Nationals in Muskogee where they succeeded.

I certainly remember of you and Brian, and have always been grateful for what you guys did. I have a question. Are you aware of anyone else who may have jumped El Cap back in your era, before Carl took his group in '78? I have heard of at least one, but have not confirmed it.

Milking the cows, I would expect.

Welcome. Your name should still be known to anyone interested in the history of BASE. I was at Bridge Day 2006 where your old buddy Brian Schubert died. RIP. It was a little odd to be standing in line to jump, getting close to the ramp, with the line slowly moving forwards, then after staff looking over the edge say "Pull! Pull..." and trail off, the line stops for 20 minutes or so, after which the line started moving forwards again. "Next!"...

Hi 13, A couple of months ago, I had to get a new version of MS Office. The subscription route was one option; however, simply buying it was another option. I found a retailer on-line & bought it for about $120. Jerry Baumchen

Hi guys, My name is Mike Pelkey. Brian Schubert and I are credited with being the first BASE jumpers. We made the first jump from the El Capitan on July 24, 1966, 12 years before Carl Boenish and company began BASE jumping. Just thought I would say hi and see if anyone remembers me from Basejumper.com.

I doubt there will be any hurt feelings if you do not look at this thread for another 10 years.

I believe he shot himself in the chest. Five times. "The BAZA report questioned how the colonel could have shot himself in the chest five times." But, of course, did not ask TOO forcefully, lest the reporter discover himself committing suicide.

You both approach this seriously, which is more than anyone could claim about Mr. "All Petersons All the Time." Neither of you is afraid to argue. I think it would be more productive if Olemisscub made (or presented footage of, if it exists) his strongest argument for Vordahl, and Fly made his strongest argument against. Avoid getting personal, it's counterproductive. While I feel that any suspect based on the tie evidence needs to be considered marginal for now, the fact that Vordahl doesn't NOT look like Cooper, and at least lived in the right part of the country and worked in one of the presumed industries, means IMO he's at least worth having the conversation about, even if to eliminate him from further consideration.

When Canadians hear Americans talking about owning guns to defend their homes they don’t really know what that could be all about. It’s just such a strange idea. Even those of us who have guns don’t keep them in a state where they would be useful in the middle of the night when someone has broken in.