FLYJACK

I don't get the semantics, civilian/luxury/sport??, even Hayden said the FBI "civilian luxury type" description wasn't accurate. They were both modified military bailout rigs..

The description of Cooper's back chute was inconsistent, but the good front reserve was consistent.. A 24 ft ripstop.

Well, it didn't go down like that,, The FBI contacted Cossey when the chutes were recovered from the plane and described them to Cossey.. they told him the tan pioneer back chute was recovered so Cossey said the other was his NB6/8 and he gave a description. So, Cossey never gave a prior description of the back chute that was left in the plane and returned to Hayden.. Interestingly, of the very early chute descriptions which were not from Cossey, one matches the chute returned to Hayden and the one Cooper used does not match Cossey's description. Once Cossey described his back chute the FBI went with that description.

Yes, at one point Cossey told them he gave them everything he had.. they noted they never got them. Riggers are required to keep records,, he probably didn't want to because he got the chutes wrong.. Without the records, it would mean Cossey was the only go to for identification.. but the FBI unknowingly had the packing card for the back chute Cooper used.. crazy stuff.

Sport jumpers are picky and prefer their own chutes. Cooper had military jump experience and probably hadn't jumped in a while. He was 45-50ish.. Cooper thought the chutes were coming from McChord.. He checked the cards and probably the seals.. IMO, he tossed the dummy because it had no card or seal. Also, he was not nervous and put the harness on easily.. A non jumper would be nervous and struggle with the harness.. Evidence is solid.. Cooper had some jump experience, almost certainly from the military.

Wrong, the pockets only fit a small card and say "inspection and packing data".. Hayden's returned chute.. He pulled the cards and checked them.. Nice try though.. Cooper also rejected the instructions, he had parachute experience. Don't be that guy....

There are many FBI files that support this,, I am 100% certain that SN 60-9707 packing card is for Hayden's back chute Cooper used and he must have pulled it out of the pocket and left it behind.. The other back chute with SN 226 card went back to Hayden. Both packed by Cossey May 21, 1971. That means, Cossey's description was wrong about the chute Cooper used. IMO, he initially assumed his chute was used but never corrected the record. (this destroys Gryder's chute stunt) They were looking for the wrong chute, Cooper's chute may have been found and dismissed. Many were found in the area.. One found in the South Fork Lewis near Heisson is particularly interesting. and Cooper was an experienced jumper, rejecting instructions, pulling and checking the cards.. since they were virtually identical he used the slightly newer one.. and since the FBI had Cooper's chute card without realizing it, you have to question their competence. The FBI relied too much on Cossey and were never able to get Cossey's records. Is this big,, yeah, it is big..

Probably, I did a FOIA on the chute packing cards, they said any info will be released in "the FBI vault"..

Tom said 14 donors on the tie, but that may be the entire tie, not the sample ultimately used by the FBI.

Cossey said his chute had no D rings, Gryder chute had D rings, Cossey never said the handle was moved left to right that was an error by Carr. He claimed the pull was modified. Cossey said his chute used by Cooper was sage green nylon container and sage green nylon harness,, Gryder chute is not. Yes, the card for the good front chute is accounted for.. but the FBI never realized they had the card for the back chute Cooper used.

The FBI completely screwed up the chutes... but the container does not match Cossey's wrong description and it does not match Hayden's either.. In Gryder's vid there was a small green canopy attached to it.. If Dan does not turn it in to the FBI that is a tell...

The McCoy circus... Interview with McCoy's son Rick.. 3 hours.. Pro tip set to 1.5x speed Rick genuinely believes McCoy was Cooper, claims a family secret.. he is very emotional. He believes the parachute Gryder showed was Cooper's.. it wasn't.. He idolized his father and his grandmother. Claims jump log books as evidence,,, it isn't. Gives lots of background on Richard.. believes FBI murdered his father.. probably right. He reiterates the description of the chute Gryder found matches Cossey's description but has the details wrong. Haven't heard any evidence.. essentially points to Gryder's vids which we know are flawed. Claims aunt said Cooper's tie clip was 100% McCoys.. that wasn't what she said in FBI files. She said one similar. Calame and Rhodes lied about it. Lots of family trouble after Richard's death. Blame, kidnap and abuse. Conclusion, Rick is genuine, he idolized his father and believes he was Cooper. He has no evidence and points to Gryder's vid and the chute which does not match.. My impression is that he isn't fully aware of the Cooper case evidence and is repeating inaccuracies Gryder told him.. McCoy has an amazing story but he wasn't Cooper. Rick had a traumatic childhood and sounds sincere..

This is it.. Crew transmits Cooper's initial demand.. "stairs to be lwrd after tkoff" Now, a little later Cooper wants Tina to manipulate stairs for him.. (that must mean lowering after take-off) crew tries to tell him instructions/operate stairs.. then crew suggests letting them lower partially and possibly locking in intermediate position. In this passage Cooper wants Tina to lower stairs and crew tries to convince him to allow them to lower part way.. This indicates crew first suggested stairs lowered for take-off.. they wanted to get Tina off of the plane. Cooper still wants Tina to lower stairs after takeoff.. (even after crew suggested lowering part way) note, here Cooper wants stairs in 1 degree,, that might mean unlocked. Flight Ops advices Crew cannot takeoff with door down. (It was the crew that previously suggested it) This all takes place before the Reno negotiations... Later, after Reno negotiation Cooper agrees to stairs full uprite position.. (this indicates locked position) Fact, Cooper's initial demand was stairs lowered after take-off. Fact, while Cooper wanted Tina to manipulate the stairs it was the crew that first suggested lowering/locking part way. It appears Cooper wanted the stairs unlocked, not fully extended for take-off.. but eventually accepted fully up and locked. There may have been some communication error between the crew, ground and Cooper.. Tina was probably the intermediary between Cooper and the crew. Cooper always wanted Tina/stew to lower the stairs (after take-off).. it is also indicated that he also wanted the stairs unlocked/open/1 degree.. IMO, he wanted them unlocked, not lowered for take-off (the crew suggested that) and the stew to lower after take-off.

He was describing facial shapes, high cheekbones, long nose, eyes as he remembers.. He doesn't say eye colour. There is no inconsistency. The initial eye description was colour.. unknown. You are manufacturing a contradiction where none exists. Gregory got an impression of Cooper's eyelid shape.. "heavy lids".. not eye colour... You can get an impression of shapes through sunglasses..

No, that wasn't why... it was something else. Remember, Tina claimed she never saw Cooper's face straight on..

He initially referred to eye colour as unknown.. This refers to shapes in areas of the face.. Nice try though..

I checked the crew comm's and this occurred well after the crew had suggested locking stairs half way.. So, it doesn't indicate it was Cooper's idea initially.. and it doesn't contradict anything when placed in context and timeline.

Maybe, still ambiguous.. Cooper may have meant unlocked,, You need to put all the comm's and pieces together in a timeline to make sense of it.. It is hard to take one snippet without the full context and sequence.. this passage can be read different ways depending on where it fits in.. for example,, was this after the crew suggested locking the stairs half way? It sounds like it was,, Remember, the crew was negotiating with Cooper and being instructed by ground/NWA..

There is no question that his initial demand was lowered after take off.. (crew transcript confirms it) What is in dispute is how down on take-off came about, from Cooper or the crew. There are three options.. 1 The crew first suggested it and Cooper accepted.. the crew wanted to get Tina off the plane. 2 Cooper suggested it. He wanted off ASAP now that Reno was in play. 3 Cooper wanted the stairs unlocked and used the term "open" and the crew misunderstood that to mean fully down. Was this negotiation going through Tina? It may have been a who's on first situation.. Here, Cooper wanted Tina to manipulate stairs after airborne (indicates lowered in flight) but crew was suggesting locking stairs half way.. IMO, to get Tina off the plane.

I already posted it,, This is the first comm's from the crew giving Cooper's demands.. NOT the last.. "AFT STAIRS TO BE LWRD AFTR TKOFF" this is the smoking gun.. This is corroberated by the Harrison notes and the FBI doc I posted here.. These are far more reliable than witness statements.. Tina probably conflated Cooper's changing demands..

The initial demand transmitted by the crew.. to be lowered after take off

I don't really have a theory on his arrival/stay in Portland. Lots of possibilities. He could have arrived by any means and stayed for days prior.. We have nothing on that.. but the Harrison notes confirm the initial airstairs lowered in flight demand and have better timestamps. Initial demand aft stair lowered in flight wants one girl to lower stairs.. agreed to take-off stairs up

Yes, it is all clear when you put the timeline together,, everybody repeats the dominant narrative that Cooper's demand was airstairs down on take-off.. inferring he had special knowledge and wanted to jump ASAP. It is only partially true. But, his initial demand was airstairs lowered after take-off.. it changed to down on take-off then the crew had to talk him out of it. My hypothesis is that Cooper wanted to jump further south for several reasons.. but when Reno was in play he didn't want to be on the plane when it landed.. So, he jumped as soon as he was able to.. that means his LZ was not his original plan.. and that may play a role in making this case more difficult.

If you carefully put together the sequence that came later.. His initial demand was lowered in flight,, due to fuel limitations they negotiated Reno. The crew suggested larger airports and Cooper refused demanding a smaller airport.. they agreed on Reno. The crew wanted to get Tina off the plane and they discussed stairs down on take-off,, it isn't clear if Cooper came up with it or it was suggested by the crew.. but Cooper accepted, when the crew was told they can't take-off with the rear stair down Cooper had to be talked out of it. He changed to airstairs up on take-off and Tina would lower them.. Everything fits when put in context and timeline. the only thing unclear it whether it was the crew or Cooper that first suggested rear stairs down on take-off..

I have been saying this for a while but some people don't seem to get it.. Cooper's initial demand was airstairs lowered in flight.. not before take-off. It is clear in the crew transcripts and confirmed here.. Cooper changed his demand when they negotiated for Reno.. this indicates that he didn't want to jump ASAP initially, but he did after the Reno landing was agreed... and that suggests he did not jump where he had initially intended. His plan changed. His initial plan was to jump further South..