FLYJACK

I have read that the optional "emergency release" was not an option on the cargo planes or 727-200's, so it won't have the same placard.. but it would still good to get detailed images..

I disagree, the chute left by Cooper is evidence.. Why don't you ask Mark 377..

Of course it would be evidence if it was the one left the plane. Cooper would have specific knowledge of it and may have handled it.

parachute,, Hayden got the 1957 parachute returned in 1975, it was deemed "would not be used as evidence.. in this matter." I doubt the FBI would return the chute found on the plane so soon as "not evidence", but they would return one not sent to the plane. That further suggests Cooper used Cossey's chute.

Cooper likely chose that flight because it was very short with less chance of air marshals and a light passenger load.. There is zero connection to Boeing. A Boeing employee hijacking right near Boeing is not confirmation, it is a rejection of that assumption.. Hahneman hijacked his 727 in PA he jumped in Honduras, your assumption is busted. There is no way Cooper makes the demand to fly nonstop to Mexico knowing that it was unachievable and would be rejected. He made that demand believing it was possible and that suggests his initial plan was to jump south of the US border. He wasn't dressed for a PNW jump in that weather. Cooper jumped were he did to avoid the risk of landing in Reno. It wasn't his initial plan. Cooper was an aviator but he wasn't a 727 expert. He got basic things wrong.

IMO, going out and doing a search is a great idea... never know what you might find. Analyzing all the facts we have, my opinion is that it is unlikely the placard came off during NORJAK, that doesn't mean it couldn't have.

The facts just don't support an alternate flightpath. You have to dismiss the chase pilots, ATC, FBI, Air Force radar, Boeing and NorthWest. All based on (now) two questionable assumptions. 1.) Assumption - WIND. Some still don't understand or choose to ignore the fact that the wind was assumed, it was an average of Portland and Salem over time, 8-9PM. It wasn't a fact, it was an assumption. Originally winds from the W were used then re-valuated to SSW. Data close to 8PM much CLOSER to the placard find than Portland indicates the winds were actually S (Toledo) or SSE (Sea-Tac) IN LINE WITH THE FLIGHTPATH. All data indicated that winds were the same direction through elevations but increased in speed at elevation. The winds in the area were actually ESE at 8 PM shifting to S and then SSW. "Information available to Portland indicates the wind believed to be in effect in the drop zone area at the time the hijacker parachuted was coming from the southwest. If that is the case and the Northwest engineers who computed the location of the drop zone and the prime line along which UNSUB presumedly fell were using southwest wind information, then the calculations of the location of the drop zone may not be accurate. A shift of wind from the west to the south would push to the east end of the prime line to the north in a counter-clockwise direction. It could cause previously unsearched territory to the west of the drop zone to be included in a new amended drop zone." FBI part 20 page 6197-6198 8:00 PM - Toledo, Washington: Measured 3,000 feet overcast, 12 miles visibility, very light rain showers, temperature 42, wind south 5 knots. Rain began 7:35 p.m. 9:00 PM - Toledo, Washington: 3,000 scattered measured, 3,400 overcast, 12 miles visibility, temperature 42, wind south 6 knots. Rain ended at 8:05 p.m. FBI part 22 page 6547 8:00 PM - Sea-Tac. Visibility 7 miles; clouds 700 'ft., scattered; estimated, 2,500 ft., overcast. Wind SSE @10 knots with light rain wnich began at 7:12 PM. 2.) Assumption - PLACARD is from Cooper. “We took the Cooper plane up after the hijacking and simulated a drop by a parachutist,’’ he said.. “We noticed the decal was missing after that but not before.” This is problematic.. the “emergency Release” was an uncommon option to some 727-100 passenger planes. Not on cargo planes or 727-200’s. The placard would have been attached to a small emergency release access door or possibly attached above that door. The problem is the placard clearly had 5 rivets/screws attaching it, most were decals. That placard was probably affixed to the removable access door as depicted in diagrams but possibly attached to the wall above. I haven't been able to confirm that exact placard on any 727. I found one emergency release decal for a 727 but it stated "VENTRAL" airstiar not "AFT" and a little smaller, many planes had AFT AIRSTAIRS.. (side door) it is possible that placard isn't even from a 727. The placard shows tears where the rivets/screws would be holding it, that means there would be remains of the placard still held by those rivets/screws. There are only two possibilities, the access door and placard left the plane or the placard was torn and left the plane. This is important, the FBI never noticed any placard missing from the plane.. they didn’t notice a missing door or the remnants that would have been under the rivets/screws if attached to the wall. One of these conditions would have been readily apparent. They noticed the placard missing after simulating a parachute drop. Further, Boeing did inflight aft airstair testing in 1964/65. If the emergency access door was missing, it would have been noticed, if the placard was affixed to wall part of it would remain trapped under rivets/screws and also be noticed. Conclusion, the Placard most likely didn’t come from Cooper. Further and more important, the WIND.... the FBI estimated the winds for Cooper's LZ based on Portland, data suggests it was SSE to S near 8PM and that spins the LZ search area more NW. Here is an image of a non-flying 727-100 with the optional "emergency release door" it is to the right of the main ventral airstair control door with two finger/pull holes in it. This one appears to be missing the placard.

Here are the descent rates,, I used 2ft/sec to 3ft/sec to be conservative without winds for an example of drift time. To go further we need to include many more assumptions.. an exercise in futility. The Placard appears to be about 4"x6" as found but was about 6"x6" originally. Use size ratio range 1:1-1:25. I used the range 2ft/sec to 3ft/sec.. as a conservative estimate for ground velocity without adding in wind and distance. 3 ft/sec = 180ft/min falling 8680 ft = 48 minutes 2 ft/sec = 120 ft/min falling 8680 ft = 72 minutes The other calcs add in wind and break down the increments at altitude and give distance. Takeaway is.. that placard would be in the air for a long time and potentially drift up to 50+ miles. It proves that using the placard location to support an alternate flightpath is pure nonsense. Eric and Robert's calcs are way off. WAY WAY OFF. https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP78-03639A000500080001-1.pdf The leaflet data are an excellent proxy for the placard.. this is where you start.

The sled test was in January, I think.. They claimed they knew the placard was missing days later.. That suggests two different "test" events. Have to look for confirmation.

I thought they flew the plane along the v23 flight path to test the winds and parachuting.. not sure if that was part of the sled test or earlier?? that placard may have come off during that test flight.. there is no way to know. I couldn't even determine if the NORJAK 727 had an "emergency airstair" option installed.

The "airstair emergency release" was an uncommon option, I have searched and not found any real pics of it but it is depicted in those two safety cards I just posted and described in the doc.. It would have been against the wall just to the right of the main released door. When the main door was swung open it would have covered it. It is completely separate from the main release..

I have searched for NWO specific info without success, the emergency release door the placard would have been behind (to the right of) the main control door pictured above and slightly larger than the placard. It was a relatively uncommon option for 727's. All emergency airstair releases were in the same place as pictured below. The placard in the image above isn't the right one. I was a separate door form the main and came from inside the airstair cavity, not the external control. It had to come from Cooper or the the flight test afterward. I always thought that somebody wearing a parachute turning around in the airstair cavity could have caught it and ripped it off.

Looks like the Placard may not have even come from Cooper... https://ia802605.us.archive.org/9/items/The_Times_News_Idaho_Newspaper_1979_01_19/The_Times_News_Idaho_Newspaper_1979_01_19.pdf

Here it is,,, "We took the Cooper plane up after the hijacking and simulated a drop by a parachutist,’’ he said.. "We noticed the decal was missing after that but not before."

I am questioning the notion that the Placard fell on its own, the dispersion area would be massive. Yet, it was found right under the flightpath.. right after (w drift) last comms with Cooper. That suggests the Placard did not drift down on its own. That plastic door should have two finger holes in it, could that have been used for something? Securing the money with the cords through the holes? worried about fingerprints? or? Don't know, just trying to brainstorm this.. Didn't they fly a test run over the flightpath afterwards to check drift? Apparently they didn't notice it was missing right away.. maybe it came off during the test..

This is great analysis for leaflet drops... (CIA) which can be a proxy for the Placard separated from plastic door.. https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP78-03639A000500080001-1.pdf 2-3 ft/sec descent.. not factoring wind plane 10000 ft Placard find = 1320 ft 3 ft/sec = 180ft/min falling 8680 ft = 48 minutes 2 ft/sec = 120 ft/min falling 8680 ft = 72 minutes Take away, if the Placard separated from the plastic door immediately on plane exit and fell close to 8680 ft it could have taken 48 minutes or more depending on the wind speed to reach the ground. It could have travelled up to 50 miles or more.. Since it was found right under the FBI flightpath, right after last comm with Cooper, that suggests the placard may not have come down on its own. It was either carried in something or remained attached to the plastic door. Is there any reason to take it with him or put it (with small plastic door) in the briefcase or dummy chute and toss?

Did "Parachutist" magazine have membership applications inside circa DEC 1971? http://manifestmaster.com/parachutist/c_1971_12.html

Doesn't look centred under the "D" to me, the video shows different angles when he picks it up and none of it shows it centred... watch the vid in slo mo It isn't centred.

Look at the video in slo mo and compare to this pic.. the lettering position doesn't match. The "R" is clearly before the "D" above... in the "In Search Of" one.

The lettering doesn't line up at all. It is clear.

No it isn't look at word AIRSTAIR it doesn't match the position.. it ends under the "D" on the real one. go back and look at the full vid in slo mo, they don't match. They aren't the same.

the edges, the lettering positions, top right corner shape.. Lower left edge and lettering doesn't match. The "N" and "A" in "HANDLE" look different. The "I" edge for the "IT" is different The words "AFT AIRSTAIR" is different, it is condensed/shifted and doesn't line up the same with words above. On the "In Search Of Placard" The "A" starts in line with the right edge of the "H" above, the ending "R" ends in line with right edge of the "D" above. In the known "real" one they are all shifted right you can see how far the word "AIRSTAIR" encroaches well under the "D" above.. Also, see the "AFT" under the T is shifted slighlty. The alignment of "EMERGENCY" and "HANDLE" look off slightly as well.

Placard.. From "In Search Of" show on left, the real Hicks Placard on right.

After doing more work on the bills,, I have concluded that there is definitely NO rubber band in the image.. it is definitely under the plastic but it is part of the design on the bill. I still believe the 3 packets arrived in a single rubber banded bundle.

FBI confirmed Tuesday placard matched one missing from plane skyjacked by D. B. Cooper.. https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-wisconsin-state-journal-jan-18-1979-p-29/