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Thanks Robert. Investing facts provides a welcome detour from fantasy land. Keep us posted. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Nobody has more experience watching people on the exterior of aircraft than skydivers. When we are on the ground and hear a plane on jump run we usually look up. Janet's story about seeing a person on the 727 stairs is simply not credible. Just a reminder. As I recall Georger backed this up with some Rayleigh's criteria and aperture analysis. I just know from experience what you can and can't resolve visually. I've watched a few hundred 14,000 ft jet exits from the ground and thousands of exits from prop aircraft at altitudes ranging from 2800 ft to 24,000 feet. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

A guy is driving around the Washougal woods and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog For Sale He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there. "You talk?" he asks. "Yes I do," the Lab replies. After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says "So, what's your story?" The Lab looks up and says, "Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. The CIA found out and told me I had two choices: I could play ball with them or get sent to Viet Nam to work with the Tunnel Rats. I chose the former. In no time at all they had me hanging out with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was also the record keeper for a number of covert and illegal domestic ops. But the work and the pressure really tired me out. I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired." The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. "Ten dollars," the guy says. "Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?" "He told you those CIA stories?" 'Yes he did, what an amazing life that dog has lived" "I'm selling him because he's a bullshitter. He's never been out of the yard." 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

I dont think banning BK would be right. Its very easy to minimize his impact by reducing the level of engagement. It's hard not to respond to nutty stuff like the chest mount reserve being jury rigged (with "cords and lots of knots") to be mounted on Cooper's back and then being deployed after a ten second delay. This could only be dreamed up by someone who had zero chute and jumping experience. It's actually kinda funny to anyone who jumps. It's like a group of pilots or aero engineers being told that somebody flew from NY to Paris in a home made jet using a couple of vacuum cleaners and a lot of batteries. BK without endless responses isn't much of a bother. I favor free speech, even if it is looney. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/beerlift.asp Beer is always on topic at dropzone. Now how about a GPS guided RC helo that could navigate autonomously to a 7-11 and bring a few 6 packs back to the DZ? 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Sailshaw recalled Wasn't that Palladin in Have Gun Will Travel? 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Start with Blevins. He could benefit from the experience. I think it would be cool to also have a reunion for the MK Ultra project at the same time. Well Amazon, if you are gonna have an MK Ultra day at the DZ you'll need hookers and LSD, both of which were employed by the CIA. Drug procurement won't be an insurmountable problem at a DZ, but hookers? DZ sex is traditionally free. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Remember BK's insisting that Cooper wore a "front chute" on his back when he made the Norjack jump? Maybe he can demo that for us at Amazon's DZ. We can give him a knife and some suspension line to do his impromptu unconventional rigging. Oh, and then do a 10 second delay on a 170 knot exit, as he claims Cooper did. Yes, I admit I am violating my own suggestion about disengaging with Mr. Knoss. I wish Tom Kaye wold talk some more here about the non alloyed titanium residue and aluminum curls and what he thinks it means. I wondered if it came from the main chutes and Norman's machine shop but Bruce inquired and Norman was not using titanium in his shop prior to the Norjack jump. (Thanks Bruce). If Cooper was a manager type in a titanium processing plant that would sure narrow down the list. I've been working around commercial vessels since I was 11. I saw no routine use of titanium in the 60s or early 70s. It was too hard to work with, expensive and the weight reduction wasnt needed. When we needed corrosion resistant metals we used stainless steel, bronze and hot dipped galvanized steel. Maybe Sailshaw can chime in. Sailboats, especially racing types, are always on the cutting edge for using exotic materials if they save weight and are strong. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Jamie Cooper claims: 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

BK goes on and on with opinions stated as irrefutable fact, wild conspiracy theories and alleged hearsay but NEVER EVER provides independently verifiable evidence to back his incredible claims. It's fine with me if BK posts here but isnt it time that we engage him a bit less? We have more productive things to discuss. Take the tie-tanium for example. I'd like to see if Norman (the owner of the main chutes) who ran an active machine shop during the time of the skyjack, might have been the source of the metals found on the tie. If the chutes were kept in his shop might they have been contaminated with titanium residue and aluminum curls? Could Cooper's tie have picked up residue from the chutes? Bruce could ask Norman if he was working with titanium prior to the skyjack and if so what type? That's a lot more interesting (to me) than arguing with BK about the living dead (McCoy) and the complicit crewman (Rataczak) allegations. BK has made his point about a hundred times. We know his theory. What's the point in endlessly arguing with him? I've decided to stop unless and until he provides some real evidence. I am not holding my breath. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

R99 asks Probably something from J Edgar's files that is very embarassing. Seemed so out of character for Hillary to hook up with a semi fringe oufit that smokes hopium and sees visions of Nikumaroro Island miracles. Amelia Earhart is one thing, but TIGHAR is another. I still think there is a good chance that Amelia's plane will be found. It just takes millions of dollars, patience and a good side scan sonar. I was hoping these guys would find it, but no cigar. http://www.nauticos.com/amelia.htm That Tena bar money still drives me nuts. I just can't come up with a good explanation that fits the other evidence. Wish Sluggo would drop in and just say hello. I miss that guy. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

R99 wrote Are you referring to Gary L? Yes, I have read his impressive nav analysis. I did celestial nav on tuna boats. Still have my sextant, sight reduction tables and Bowditch book. Back in the day there was no GPS and there were many parts of the Pacific where LORAN coverage was spotty or absent. I remember synching my watch to radio time signals every day right before I took a noon sun sight. No automatic "atomic clock" synching like today, I am talking about listening to a voice announcement from the National Bureau of Standards station WWV on shortwave (usually 10.0 or 15.00 MHz) and setting my watch manually. I've flown over Pacific island areas and I can tell you if there are spotty clouds and the sun angle is casting cloud shadows on the water, it is nearly impossible to visually distinguish a low profile island from a sun shadow. They look identical from a distance. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Occam is having a good laugh. An ambiguous straight object is seen on an old aerial photo. Oh, it's probably a landing gear strut from Amelia Earhart's Lockheed. Sorry Hillary, no cigar. That was reserved for Monica. Find any period appropriare debris anywhere within a few hundred miles of Howland and TIGHAR will link it to Earhart. A shoe, a bone, a scrap piece of aluminum, they are all Amelia's. Hey Bob. Was Earhart's crash staged in order to justify the establishment of long range navigation aids like LORAN A? What post disappearance identities did Amelia and Fred assume? 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Mr. Shutter wrote: True. No elaborate staged skyjack was needed. All they'd have to do is what they do now and that is to say that intelligence reports indicate increased threats and that new regs are necessary to insure public safety. That's all it has ever taken. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Bob Knoss wrote Who were these attorneys Bob? Name them. Will they verify your claims? 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Bob Knoss is asked by Mr. Shutter I'll bet "Commander" Anderson gave Bob one of those rare and coveted spook radio licenses good for all bands, all modes, unlimited power and no expiration. Kinda like Nixon giving Elvis that DEA badge. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Happy Birthday Bob. Leavenworth is a Federal Prison. I think I was confusing it with Ft Leavenworth a military facility. What did USAF General LeMay have to do with your "case"? Gen LeMay was an active ham radio operator, like so many on this forum. Call signs included W6EZV. Coincidence? Hmmmm. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

BK wrote Bob, How does a civilian get sentenced by a "Commander" to a military prison? This was pre NDAA, pre Patriot Act, pre Eric Holder saying that due process doesn't mean judicial process. We actually had some rights in 1968 when you claim to have been arrested. I must have been cutting when they taught this highly unorthodox criminal procedure in law school. Educate me. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Matt wrote: Maybe I wasn't far enough out on the Herc ramp to get the blast but it was amazingly calm on the part where I stood about three feet back from the ramp lip. Noisy as hell, but not breezy. The plane was a very early model C 130A, with 3 bladed props. N131EC. The DC 9 really was calm right next to the open rear bulkhead door. I think if I had dropped a styro cup it would have just gone straight down to the floor. BTW the French Caravelle jet (roughly a DC 9 type medium range passenger jet) had rear ventral stairs. I think it preceded the DC 9 debut. UAL flew some for a while. http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sud+caravelle+rear+door&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7ADFA_enUS453&biw=1120&bih=543&tbm=isch&tbnid=q87M3OK0xtFCdM:&imgrefurl=http://www.aeroengineer.net/history/caravelle60/index.html&docid=zoFaV7A5l5OyfM&imgurl=http://www.aeroengineer.net/history/caravelle60/images/Caravelle.jpg&w=1600&h=574&ei=9RphT4PFKIjO2wW99tiGCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=55&vpy=217&dur=8&hovh=134&hovw=375&tx=238&ty=98&sig=112871121911353617941&page=5&tbnh=75&tbnw=209&start=51&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:51 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

"The dog ate my homework" FBI style. Maybe the FBI K9s ate the cigarette butts too? On the DC 9 with an open rear door there was no air disturbance inside the cabin, even right next to the bulkhead door. It was dead calm. Same in a C 130 standing right on the lowered tailgate ramp at 14,000 feet. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Jo, I really hope things get better for you. We spar from time to time but it never gets personal or bitter. I hope you have friends or family nearby that can help you through these hard times. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Careful Farflung, you aren't 18 any more. Better get that pacemaker retuned before you answer the call of the Cooper Siren. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

I stand corrected Georger. Must have been fixated on something else at the symposium. Still, Carol really did a great job putting together all the Dan Cooper comics presentation. Too bad Snow missed it. What rules out Ted Braden? Remind me. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Good points Farflung. One of our local DZs is facing a $664,000 FAA fine for some safety violations. Seems like they went way past due on some ADs dealing with frayed flight control cables and other items. http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_d7c87eb9-e446-5bdf-9013-62c7ff83ddc5.html I saw one of your former USAF mounts sitting on the ramp at an airshow. It had arrived a few hours earlier and was marking its territory with various fluid leaks. Some of the crew were sprinkling what looked like kitty litter on the pooled fluids and would periodically sweep it up in a dustpan. Sound familiar? I heard from Sluggo. He is OK. I dont think he misses this part of the Cooper Vortex at all. I wonder what kind of rehab succeeded in curing the addiction? And what became of Marla? Has she given up or is she still hoping to publish? She sure livened up the Portland Symposium. The real mystery woman of the symposium was the lovely author Musika Farnsworth, who said little and revealed even less. And Georger, I was there. I do not recall Carol Abraczinskas endorsing Marla's story. Carol's DB Cooper comic presentation was first rate and very entertaining. She only pointed out coincidences and drew no conclusions. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Farflung wrote I thought carrots had excellent vision, at night, or something like that... Do you have her phone number Farflung? How could you all miss the obvious conclusion that the tie tac was custom milled from a pure titanium billet? My Saturday jump plans got scrubbed by a broken King Air 200. What a let down. All dressed up and nowhere to fall. 377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.