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Quade probably has better info but last I heard the FAA was insisting that one of the Perris DC 9s engines was timed out and needed an OH, based on calendar years since OH NOT ENGINE HOURS. The engine still was way below TBO by engine hours but its chrono age timed it out. Stupid rule. I hope that Perris can get some sane waiver. An OH on a JT8D engine is a HUGE expense. High six figures. It is one sweet plane and a rare DC 9 version (I think only 10 DC 9-21s were made). I'd love to see it flying again. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Robert, did you actually see hinges? A freeze frame of the show just shows a plywood board across some joists, but it doesnt show the full area of the plywood piece. I have pieces of plywood in my attic that are just layed across joists to provide an area to stand on or walk on. With insulation installed you cant see much. I just want to be sure that the MYTHistory Channel isnt spinning a loose piece of plywood into a hinged secret compartment. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Amerijet had a 727 freighter approved for skydiving flights. It and I think others were used at WFFC in Quincy Illinois to haul skydivers MANY TIMES during the 1990s and perhaps even earlier. Don Kirlin, the WFFC organizer, did major battle with the FAA to get 727 jumps approved. When I showed up at Quincy the 727 was a no show that year, but I did get to jump a rare C 54 (DC 4). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dwYmWhFBL4&NR=1 I did finally get to jump the Perris DC 9-21 at WFFC at Rantoul Illinois in 2006. I spoke with the crew and learned in great detail all the hassles the Conatser family had to go through to get their DC 9 jump legal. The ex SAS DC 9 looked to be in immaculate condition. I poked around in the wheel wells which usually tell you a lot more than a nice paint job does. No leaks or seeps or caked grease, every hose was clean. Very impressive. The DC 9-21 is a rare variant optimized for hot and high operations, a perfect profile for a jumpship, fast climbing. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Jamie wrote about Al: Nope. Statute of limitations has run on everyone but Cooper. Al wasn't talking as far as I can tell until after the statute had run out. So Jamie, today was the big day when some law enforement folks were going to visit you. What happened? Are you sure it's all about DBC's briefcase and not about the unsolved Billy Vocks murder? 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Al, Why be so mean? You show a surprising lack of knowledge about parachute gear but I don't try to humiliate you, instead I just inform you. Why don't you try a similar approach? This is a skydiving website not a government conspiracy website. If you are going to act superior I suggest that you first obtain an FAA Master Rigger ticket and a USPA PRO rating (I have neither). 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Al writes: "good chute"??? Are you saying Cooper jumped with the chute from the X'd container? How? The X'd (dummy) container was a chest mount reserve. The military surplus bailout rig he chose to wear had no hardware for fastening a reserve. The Pioneer sport rig that did have D rings was left on the plane. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Not me. Makes little sense PLUS you couldn't fit boots and a 28 ft canopy in a chest mount reserve container. There is not enough room. Not even close. Ask anyone who has experience with that old school gear. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Jamie, if it isn't local cops, then who is coming to visit you? These guys? http://www.bca.state.mn.us/bca.asp 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Jamie Cooper wrote: Be sure there arent any roaches in your ashtrays. I really doubt if they can get a search warrant, but I dont know the local judicial landscape. There are a few judges who always do what the police want and let the lawyers and appellate courts sort out the Fourth Amendment issues. Sometimes police can get voluntary cooperation if the person whose home is being searched has no fear or risk of arrest or prosecution. Good luck Jamie. Wouldnt that be something if you really found a hot twenty? I'd have to eat some crow and so would others. We could roast one at Ariel next November. I wonder if Jerry or Amazon has a good local recipe? 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Sure Jo. Continue even if Al doesnt invite you to. Sounds like a showdown at the Cooper corral. Hadn't been much action in this cow town for a long time, then this stranger rode in... 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

My recollection is that the X was on a container, not on a canopy. No container was found at Amboy, just a canopy. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Yeah, left coast juries often don't believe everything cops and prosecutors say. I think that's a good thing in most cases. Show a jury solid physical evidence and they'll make the right call, but out here the jurors are not rubber stamps confirming everything the prosecution advocates. The Trial of DB Cooper. Now there's an idea for a book or movie. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Blevins writes: A couple of possibilities: 1. FBI coverup and stonewalling. 2. FBI sees DBC media stuff as a huge waste of time and decides to be uncooperative to discourage further dialog. Occam likes number 2. We also have a hint that the Seattle office leadership thinks that despite initial hopes, DBC media interface had been unproductive and they want out. Look at Carr's history on the case. I want the Amboy chute to be Cooper's, but I'd bet against it. It is too old and of a type that was obsolete and unsafe by dates far preceding 1971. Riggers keep logs of emergency chute repacks. The logs include the serial number of the repacked canopy. Cossey has a riggers log. It would be easy to see if the Amboy chute SN is in it. I think Cossey was truthful when he said the Amboy canopy was not his. The alternatives call for complex conspiracies which Occam abhors. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Mr. Blevins wrote: Quade, Guru, other jumper posters and lurkers... Back me up on this if you agree. I can't tell if the 1946 Amboy chute is nylon twill or silk, but that isn't very important. It does not appear to be made of ripstop nylon. As far as I can tell ripstop nylon was not yet used in standard military aircrew escape canopies in 46. NO WAY would Cossey, a rigger and jumper, bet his life on a 1946 non ripstop military canopy in 1971. Back then you could get new C9 ripstop military surplus canopies dirt cheap. Twill canopies could rip from top to bottom. They were not nearly as safe as ripstop canopies. Nobody was using twills as emergency backpack canopies in 1971. The FBI might have erred in calling it silk. Many make that mistake when they see a vintage twill canopy. What really matters is was it ripstop or not. I wish the FBI would show the riser ends in a photo. The hardware might tell us something about whether it had been connected to an NB 6 or NB 8 harness/container or something different. The Amboy chute is odd. Why was it buried? Who left it there? I don't think it was Coopers canopy. Do other jumpers and riggers agree? 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Jamie says: I wish I agreed Jamie, I really do. I want Cooper to have made it, but live crooks do not throw money away. Sure, there are plausible explanations that have a live Cooper and money on Tena Bar, but the simplest explantion is that Cooper died and the money ended up there by means of river and/or dredge transport. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Jamie wrote: Cool down Jamie. I am not happy with all Quades decisions either, especially the permafrost of Snowmman, but attacking Q is guranteed to be an exercise in futility. Spend you energy on productive stuff. See if you can convince the homeowner to search with you, offer to split proceeds or whatever. You'll never get a search warrant issued, so pursue other avenues. Quade did save this forum from disappearing. If you took a vote among skydivers on dropzone.com I bet the vast majority would prefer to see this forum go away. The more vocal ones have agitated for it several times. Quade got no points and probably lost some by defending our forum's right to exist on dropzone.com. I am sure his move to save the DBC forum was seen as arbitary and unfair by those who sought to can it. A moderator's job is thankless and pays nothing. I don't like censors and cops but I do like this forum. Our cop defended it against attack by intolerant members of the skydiving community. For that he deserves some credit even from those who dont agree with all his decsions and nudge him even here to reconsider them. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

We knew you before you were famous Robert! Post links to any recorded interviews. Have fun. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Jamie wrote: It's completely irrational Jamie but it's just human nature. The more sympathetic/likeable the DBC claimant is, the less proof we require. Caretaker Al has to provide two hot twenties, where one from you would be acceptable. Remember high school? It's still in session. Good looks and good grades have an unfair but undeniable correlation. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

I like false accuracy, at least where it doesnt matter much. I have a really cheap digital micrometer. I love to see it read out a dimension to 6 digits, especially since it cost in the very low 2 digits ($16). I think, "what a bargain, so much precision for such a small sum." Of course its repeatability measuring the same piece is poor, the least significant digits appearing more like a random number generator than an accurate measuring device, but hey, I don't really need the accuracy for seeing if I have reached minimum thickness on my brake rotors. I can see where meteorolgy is relevant to DBC, but metrology is a stretch. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

I want Snowmman to do everyones' searches for them. That's essentially what he did here, dug deeper on what we searched for and richly supplemented it... in addition to performing his own original research. One reason I don't want to listen to Occam about Cooper's drowning is that I don't want anyone to have come to that gruesome end after pulling off such an amazing caper. Can you imagine the agony? You actually get the cash, you make a successful exit, are floating down under a good canopy with all the money still attached to you and then splash... shocking cold, complete disorientation and a quick realization that after beating all those odds, your luck has run out and you will be dead in a few minutes. So I ignore Occam and continue to look for less probable but more emotionally palatable explanations for how stacks of hot twenties ended up on Tena Bar. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Jo wrote: Come on Jo, cut out the legal threats... and lose that silly copyright notice on your posts. Nobody else attempts to copyright their forum posts here. Are you really going to sue someone who reprints or copies one of your posts without your permission? What about all the noise you were making a while back about something big going on and implying that there would soon be news? Seems like the same old same old to me. I do wonder what happened to Tom K. Last I saw of him was on a TV news video casting a budle of bills into the Columbia on a fishing line. Was he trolling for lawyers? 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Found by Snowmman, after I searched in vain. I had never heard of parachutists using fighters as jumpships. Few fighters had any extra room in the cockpit much less a means for someone to get out without jettisoning the canopy. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

People get weird about reserves. They hesitate to use them, get doubts about buying a used one that has actually been deployed, etc. Think of it as your most reliable and robust canopy, not some tempermental fragile thing that is just as likely to kill you as save you. I've had two cutaways in 42 years of jumping. One in the early 70s on Capewells and one on a modern rig in 2005. On my last one I thought to myself: "Damn, I've got a bad canopy, now I will use my good canopy." With an RSL you will have a good canopy fast after a cutaway and with a Skyhook, even faster. Don't be afraid to cutaway. If you need to do it then do it right away. Trying to fix an uncontrollable main eats up precious altitude. You can get below your hard deck a lot faster than you think if your main is spinning. I found doing practice cutaways in a suspended harness was really good training. When it was time to do a real one it seemed like I was programmed. It was almost automatic. Hope you never have to do a cutaway, but if you do, don't hesitate. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

According to the FBI, DB Cooper smoked a bunch of Raleighs before he jumped. He also drank some Bourbon. Back in the 70s I was on some loads at Elsinore where all sorts of things were being smoked and snorted prior to jumping. Don't recall seeing any Camels though. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

I've been researching USMC aviation in SE Asia. Amazingly, USMC parachutists were dropped in the Phillipines from F3 Skyknight fighters, through the pilots escape hatch underneath the fuselage. The F3 did not have ejection seats. What was this training for? F3s were deployed in Viet Nam as ELINT and ECM planes which was odd given their very advanced age (early 1950s aircraft). Their missions carried them far into the Northern "Route Packs" as the tracks were called. The planes were modified for the Viet Nam role at MCAS El Toro in CA. From Wikipedia: I now wonder if the F3 USMC paradrops were the first non emergency jet jumps? The latest issue of the journal of the American Aviation Historical Society, of which I am a longtime member, has a very extensive article on the F3 written by a USMC aircrewman/historian who flew in them for many years. He mentions the paradrops in the Philippines. Ths doesn't prove anything about who Cooper was but it is interesting. Is it possible that parachutists were dropped into North Viet Nam from F3s? 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.