hangdiver

Thanks georger...but intelligent minds already know blevins' shtick..it's so yesterday...thanks for reminding blevins it's only TV. I've been involved in a few skydiving TV shows in the past and yes you can't believe anything you see or hear on TV...even the news is entertainment...Decoded...yawn... hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

I just wish I got along with my wife as well as georger and robert do... wait... I don't have a wife... my bad... hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

I agree although there area couple of differences...when flying upwind the wing will most likely stall when the gust stops thereby reducing your airspeed past the stall point with the wing angle initially higher relative to the horizon than the stall downwind...Of course this all depends on the length of the gust...flying downwind the wing will stall when the gust starts and reaches that magic #...the difference between airspeed and stall speed...with the wing angle lower to the horizon compared to the upwind stall also with an obvious higher ground speed. I've experienced both...the upwind gust feels like being lifted by the nose...the downwind gust feels like the tail is being lifted. As far as flying low speed wings in those conditions it isn't very smart in the first place. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

Something I discovered flying hang gliders...if the gust velocity flying downwind is greater than the difference between your airspeed and stall speed the gust will stall the wing...not a real good feeling especially when your ground speed is 60 plus. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

Just like every other cooper investigator... sigh....... hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

Just for a comparison...when I worked on motorcycles...the shop paid for our uniforms and laundry...not our hand tools. When I worked jumping I always worked as a sub...no required uniforms for video...I think the school paid for the instructors jumpsuits...that was a few years ago. YMMV hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

you had better rethink your theory about the desert...I worked there for 3 years...I saw many canopies collapse...one myself...a 136 Jonathan. I jumped a Stiletto 135 and 120...never had a problem with those. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

Sorry to hear that shutter...a few years back I had a friend who was charged with murder in another state. A partial print run through the finger print data base singled him out...spent Christmas weekend in jail. He prevailed from an alibi. Yep, got the Cooper connection in your post. It seems some of us tend to jump to conclusions in the Cooper case without due diligent research. good luck hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

I'm with you on the above quote Guru312...if he lived..."hey I'm Dan Cooper"... "yeah right show us the money"..."ah uh I lost it" Doh!! I think some jumper should get a bag of paper...20-22lbs, some 550 cord and do the jump...if I was 20 years younger I'd do it. Lets see...my youngest son is a jumper with about 150 jumps...I bet he'd do it...ha.ha. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

Hi 377...I noticed you didn't use 550 cord. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

I'm posting this to explain how fast a spin in freefall or under our modern smaller canopies can happen and render you unconscious...which is related to Cooper jumping with an asymmetrical load/the money bag. This phenomenon exists with tandem jumping...known as the side spin...when the passenger goes fetal with arms and legs out...think touching your toes. This also happens under a small spinning canopy. here is a first hand experience that"s a bit long but explains how fast this can render a person unconscious. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4520694#4520694 This jumper was really lucky to not have died...there have been numerous fatalities from this spin/blackout phenomenon. If Cooper had an asymmetrical load fastened to him that he couldn't jettison in a spin he would be unconscious in about 4-6 seconds...that's a guess based on tandem side spin videos I remember having to watch to become a Tandem Instructor. I think the money find in the Columbia river points in that direction. This of course is my opinion based how it was said he fastened the money bag.YMMV hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

Matt, if I was all knowledgeable on how to exit a 727 I would feign lack of knowledge to throw the investigation off and tell the flight attendant what cooper told her and I'm paraphrasing here..I need help opening the airstairs. I personally don't think Cooper survived...but he certainly could have survived...I give him a 50% chance of survival...he either lived or died and with either outcome I don't think he had the money on impact...ah...I mean landing. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

I have about 30 balloon camera jumps all leaving from outside the basket on my back...at Eloy. I would follow the above advice on getting your landing accuracy down. I would also advise to try looking for and identifying power lines, fences and other obstacles while flying under canopy...only after clearing the airspace...you don't want a canopy collision...so you will be familiar with that aspect of the jump. You may want to do some Cessna jumps having the pilot slow it down to get the feel of dead air exits. The first 5 seconds you have no control...the step off and launch is critical if you want a stable exit. There seems to be an overwhelming urge to windmill ones arms and legs for some people the first few seconds before building up enough speed for control. My exit strategy was to do some deep breathing to relax before just letting go and basically just fall away on my back with no push whatsoever. I have to admit I've never exited belly to earth from a balloon.YMMV Good luck hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

+1 I've been know to drive a junker car out of a perfectly good airplane...what would the NTSB say? On the other hand where can I get two jumps for the price of one...did you see TM cut his passenger away? My GOD...that can't be legal... stop whining folks...that was a pre-planned stunt...jeez... now back to my coffee... hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

I know the pic without the helmet is definitely "Norton Bob" and the one with helmet also appears to be "Norton". I can ask my friend Steve for sure but I 'm pretty sure that's "Norton" in the second pic as well. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

Norton wasn't jumping in 1971, he may have been in jail. He took a rap for the Hells Angels and did some time but was later pardoned by the Governor. I never met "Norton" his nick name from the "Angels"...he rode a Norton motorcycle...but I ran a dropzone with Steve Haley in the early 90's and know a few things about Robert Thomas...can't remember his middle name but I'll ask Steve today...he's mentioned it but I can't remember...oldtimers I guess. Here are a couple of links to articles that mention "Norton" I'll let you guess who "crazy jack" is. http://www.bushwings.com/texts/alaska.html the second article is no longer online but it was the book written by Sonny Barger I think called "Hells Angels" and in it "Norton" is mentioned by Barger as one of his most respected members. Steve Haley has told me that when "Norton" showed up to jump at Antioch he weighed 300+ and was told to go lose weight before he could jump. He came back a few months later weighing 200 and got to jump for the first time circa 75-76. "Norton" became well known in aviation circles around the late 70's and 80's jumping and flying aerobatics. I don't think he is a very good candidate for Cooper...IMHO eta: oh yeah "Norton" is CCR#8 and CCS#1...Steve Haley is CCR#1and CCS#8. Those are Canopy Formation awards...they were the first obviously. yep another edit...this post by Steve says his middle initial was E. Robert E. Thomas. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4090141;search_string=norton%20thomas;#4090141 hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

With just a short search I found the story Jo paraphrased. http://www.air-america.org/Articles/Donner1.shtml cool site with lots of interesting stories of Guys in Air America and the CIA in Viet Nam. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

I have no experience with cargo chutes and any thoughts on the amboy chute is pure speculation...nothing more. The amboy chute doesn't look silk to me...and I think a personnel chute would have more data stamped on it...like I said pure speculation. Where is the original pic of the data panel on the amboy chute? I did find one in a collage that farflung posted a few years ago. If what Norman Hayden says (“white, 26-foot conical, rip-stop.”)on The Mountain news web site is true and both parachutes were identical it would have more information on the data panel identifying it. eta: I don't think the amboy chute has anything to do with db cooper and is a cargo chute... Some logic and lots of speculation... hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

I have a silk chute...it's in storage at the moment, but here is photo of the data stamp. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

Matt's the one to answer that question he has done it for a living. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

I don't think that's how it's done...LMAO yep, Cooper died all right... that scenario would probably make the harness fail and kill or severely injure the jumper... hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

also http://skyvector.com/has all the charts online...the charts usually have the legend/key for the symbols. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

What's that you say..."You rattle off these things without knowing a thing"... What can one say about that... where is the steam iron symbol? hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

glad your still with us westcoastsd...my humblest of apologies how many speed flyers are there named Walden? well...one less now BSBD hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan

I'm pretty sure...I could be wrong...because I don't know him. Did you read the article? he has a distinct name. If I'm wrong my bad...but my research pretty much confirms it. same guy who did the W.A.R.D.O. or W.A.R.D. hangdiver "Mans got to know his limitations" Harry Callahan