FLYJACK

Cooper was expecting military gear from McChord.. McChord was initially contacted but apparently couldn't get authorization.. So they contacted Cossey and Hayden. McChord would have had static rigs and bailout rigs only?? If so, he expected bailout rigs. His parachute demand was important, I can't see somebody obfuscating terminology and taking the risk of getting the wrong equipment.

Cossey would have known the next day,, but he provided his faulty description of the chute Cooper used the day before.. Hard to tell in that article if Cossey is actually acknowledging the source of the chutes or it is the writer.

I found in my research that aircrew's used either front or back bailout rigs and that terminology was used from WW2 on.. they didn't seem to use both.. this suggests Cooper may have expected 4 independent rigs with harnesses, not just two sets. McNalley got and used a front chute with a harness. For something like a C-47, they would sit in a rack and get put on quickly for an emergency bailout..

Eric Ulis & Mark Meltzer -"Parachuting From An Airliner" Panel -11/18/22 Still using Cossey's incorrect description of the chute Cooper used.. Hayden's chutes were the same except the one Cooper used was 3 years newer..

This might be Spreckel. Mitchell's name doesn't seem to work unless his middle name is spelled out and I am not sure what it is.. It is the only name with 24 letters/spaces that seems to fit. Significant if it is because it would corroborate Mitchell's "turkey neck" description. Is this Mitchell or Speckel... Can anybody make Mitchell's name fit..

Gryder has lost any cred with that phoney parachute stunt.. He also said Cooper's tie and clasp was 100% identified as belonging to McCoy.. um no had one "similar".... when shown a photo.. dark blue or black?

So, that got me thinking,, Cooper asked for front and back chutes, this terminology goes back to WW2. But, WW2 used static lines, except aircrews.. What would he have expected to get.. or technically.. what was he actually requesting.. and what does that indicate about Cooper. Two front reserves and two mains??

In this article this is labeled as the mailbag McNally received the money in.. but it looks like a front harness.. and the image is labelled parachute. https://www.metrotimes.com/news/the-final-flight-of-martin-mcnally-2483257?storyPage=3

Both were reserves.. Cooper's back pack was a reserve and McNally had a chest reserve..

The argument that Cooper wanted to avoid coastal cities to avoid the Ocean doesn't make any sense.. Cooper agreed to Red Bluff then across to Reno. Cooper was offered San Francisco, LA and San Diego all rejected for being too big.. San Francisco is in a direct line over Red Bluff,, LA and San Diego are East of Red Bluff and even East of Reno in a direct flight.. If the crew wanted to go over the Ocean they could have even if they were flying to Reno.. The best explanation is that at that time Cooper thought he was still going to be on the plane when it landed to refuel... he didn't want to be on the plane at a large airport... more confusion, less control and higher risk.

Maybe, this is just one minor piece that fits a hypothesis.. .. if he was about to jump he would be concerned about the weather.. if everyone else was concerned why the need to hide it. Unconcerned, he now stuck out. It is also possible Williams misread the situation. "WILLIAMS stated he has a habit of noticing individuals dressed in black and this was the reason he remembers the above described individual. The man described above had a “blah” attitude and was quite unaffected by the inclement weather conditions prevailing at the time, which noticeably bothered the rest of the passengers." and remember Cooper's initial demand was airstairs to be lowered after takeoff.

Lots to unwind there,, some not accurate. but he jumped at night over the jungle with slight injuries.

That was a typo.. was NOT concerned with the weather.. I corrected it.. the gate agent said he was the only passenger waiting that was not concerned with the bad weather.. If you were planning to jump in the PNW you would be concerned..

When Reno was in play he decided to jump ASAP.. being on the plane when it landed was risky, he had the money and the opportunity to get out. Jumping closer to take-off would give him more time.

Heading South as a ruse is the prevailing thought, but I can't accept that Cooper gave a demand he knew would be rejected by the pilots as impossible. He had aviation knowledge.. It is like carjacking a taxi in NY and demanding to be taken to Miami nonstop.. His demand only makes sense if Cooper believed the range could make Mexico. So, he believed it could and expected the plane to go to Mexico but either he made an error with the range or his demands were miscommunicated by the crew, maybe he wanted the dirty configuration when stairs were deployed but his plan changed for Reno and he wanted stairs open ASAP. Another big piece is that he rejected landing and refuelling in large US airports, he wanted a smaller one.. if he was going to jump in the PNW at that point, why would it matter to him. IMO, he rejected those large airports because he was still thinking he would be on the plane when it landed to refuel, but he changed his mind when Reno was in play and bailed early. Plus, he was not dressed for PNW jump and hike out in that weather.. which he was (Edit) not concerned with according to the gate agent. If he lands in that weather and terrain he will be wet and dirty.. now he has to walk out. He would look obvious and need clothes.. We can't prove this but there is inferential evidence.

Others disagree but IMO, based on his demands and his rejection of large airports during the Reno negotiations he wanted to jump south of the US border.. he changed his plan and jumped early due to Reno. When he demanded no stops in the US and can refuel in Mexico, he believed the plane could make it to Mexico. Either he miscalculated the range flying dirty or Stew /crew misunderstood his demand, maybe they weren't to fly dirty the entire way but instead when the stairs were lowered.. because of the change to Reno the stairs were lowered sooner.

Yes, it seems that way..

The problem with that is you are using Jo Weber's interpretation of that doc as fact. Her claims are entirely unreliable.

In 1997, Jo told the the FBI that Duane used the alias "John Collins".. don't know if that was ever confirmed by the FBI. Which came first, the clerks claim or Jo's claim..

"canvassing hotel-motels, vicinity of airport" Investigation in Portland territory negative.

The Bing sketch hadn't been made yet,, there was that very first sketch that may have been made by then. IMO, it is entirely BS or extremely embellished.. The FBI was canvassing hotels.. maybe that part is legit and in the late 90's the clerk saw the Duane narrative contacted Jo and greatly embellished the incident. This was the first sketch..

I found some info related to that doc.. Apparently, in the late 90's Jo was getting publicity for her Duane narrative and was contacted by somebody claiming to be the clerk who worked at the Rodeway Inn.. The guy even claimed he was shown a pic of Duane and identified him as the guy he saw.. Jo even credited that incident with the FBI DNA testing Duane. If the doc was produced close to the hijacking that lends some cred but if it was created in the late 90's then is either a hoax or embellished.. but it looks like Jo didn't create it..

Since the FBI may read this forum.. Can you put hotel/motel info in the next Cooper vault doc.. and info for the slide with the hair and any details on the chute packing cards Thanks

I disagree with the context.. it could be referring to the previous night before the hijacking.. It doesn't make sense for it to be the 24th,, Cooper was busy in the early evening and would have received the late wake up call the same day as the FBI was there. The FBI wouldn't have any interest. The point is that Cooper stayed close to the airport before he hijacked the plane, not that he landed at the motel and decided to stay next to the airport, that is crazy. but if Jo Weber was part of it,, it is probably BS.. I'd still like to confirm the source.

I don't read it that way.. Thanksgiving day was when the FBI arrived.. He could have checked in the day before the hijacking and if he asked for a late wakeup call that may have been the 24th.. It could be unrelated and the wording is vague but why would the FBI take the registration card.. if it was Wednesday early evening, it wasn't Cooper..