mark

R2^2? Mark

Here's an issue: no link. Best wishes. Mark

The jet was moving along at 120 mph or knots; two miles every minute. The turn at the VOR cannot be instantaneous. So should he jump at the beginning of the turn or at the end of the turn? Does the turn begin before the VOR and cut the corner, so to speak, or does it begin at the VOR and tear-drop on course? How much time should he allow to walk down the stairs? Should he practice once or twice? And how does he compensate for a crosswind? Also, the existence of an airstrip near the VOR doesn't mean anything if he's just using it as a place to park a getaway car. Mark

No, and no. Mark

On the other hand, some other AADs will. Vigil, for example. Mark

In the US, it is possible to be a tandem passenger without being a tandem student. When that is that case, no passenger altimeter is required. Mark

How about "Spanish Fly"? Mark

Since you asked, it was made in Fayetteville. Care to guess? To help you, here's a picture of its pull-out pilot chute. HW I'm going to guess Rodriguez, based on the rainbow stripes and the suspension line reserve ripcord. Also, the chest strap in an earlier picture looks like it might have the internal friction adapter. Mark

I'm guessing you're looking for a bail-out course, not a regular static line or AFF FJC. If so, http://www.silverparachutes.com/articles.html should give you a good start. Mark

An odd bit of trivia: On September 11, 1994, Frank Corder stole a Cessna 150 from the Harford County Airport. He died when he crashed it into the White House in the early morning hours of September 12, 1994. Mark

Not likely. Assumes the aircraft is exactly on a planned flight route and not left or right of it, so the only variable is how far along the path the aircraft has flown. If there is any crosswind at all, the landing area would not be underneath the aircraft line of flight. The ground person calling for exit would have to estimate the amount of time it would take to stow the radio and walk down the stairs; 30 seconds off would be a mile, in the dark. Spotting from the ground in the daytime when you can see the aircraft is hard enough. At night, using just sound, does not have a high probability of success. I don't think I've read anywhere that Cooper asked for for the flight path to be adjusted, as it would need to be if he had a particular landing area in mind. Mark

If he was holding on to the briefcase when he jumped, he was not holding on to it after opening shock. Plus, opening shock would have been worse if he were hugging the briefcase, even assuming he could pull successfully with the briefcase in the way. Mark

Ckret posted this in the previous thread: "Mucklow spent hours with him and described his shoes in detail (something a woman might notice) even down to the grain of the leather. She was certain to state they were slip on's. There is nothing in the investigation that points to Mucklow not being reliable in her statement so I give it weight. Of course that is different than actual fact but I do believe Cooper had slip ons." Mark

The "bomb" proves that he figured out how to get started, but he wouldn't be the first bank robber type to be hazy on the getaway details. Like you, I can't imagine a paratrooper or skydiver exiting ill-equipped, but I and others have suggested that an Air Force loadmaster would be familiar with pilot emergency rigs and tailgate exits without knowing much about wind blast, opening shock, or landings. From my experience looking for lost parachutes, it's not hard for me to believe that searchers would miss the canopy. And if they could miss the canopy, they could miss the rig, the body, and the money. ============================ On to other things: How certain are we of the radar track, given that no tapes exist? Was the aircraft using VOR navigation? I ask because unless you are exactly on course, the needle drifts left or right when you get close to the VOR transmitter. If that happens, the usual technique is to maintain heading until abeam the VOR, then fly the new course until a reliable indication is reestablished. If the crew is busy, how far off the airway centerline could they be? With regard to the suspected time of exit, in an era before GPS synchronization of time signals, how certain are we that the airplane time (on the pilot's watch, the 1st officer's watch, the instrument panel?) corresponds to ATC/radar time? Mark

Plan A: Jump shortly after take-off (which is why you'd want the stairs down right away), descend gently into the suburbs, stash the parachute, knock on any door and explain about car trouble. If James Bond could peel off a wet suit to reveal an unwrinkled dinner jacket (Dr No? Thunderball?), then how hard could it be to pretend to be a businessman just looking for a lift? Plan B: Same as plan A, but later in the flight, just requires a longer walk to a farmhouse. Of course he would be wet and disheveled. It's not easy changing a tire in the rain, or trying to get your car started after it died. Plan A counts on being in a populated area to blend in sooner. Plan B counts on the Feds not knowing when he jumped and having to search the entire area between Seattle and Mexico (or Reno). I'm not suggesting either plan would be a good plan, just that they are plausible. Mark

I'm one of those who think that if Cooper was wearing slip-on loafers when he walked down the stairs, he wasn't wearing loafers when he arrived at the surface. Perhaps one of the experienced jumpers would like to contribute something on the likelihood of an injury-free barefoot round landing. I don't recall calling anyone a whuffo lately. Mark

WARNING: JOKE FOLLOWS (and how I wish I didn't have to make it so obvious) New Flight Concepts Firefly: $1200 New 24' light-weight round (substitute for Preserve-3): $700 New FXC 12000: $900 New Mirage container (with Rapid Transit TSO): $2500. Total: $5300. Take off a little for depreciation, dealer overhead, etc., and it's still a great deal. Folks pay extra for classic cars. Why not for classic rigs? Be sure to get video when you take it to your rigger (who will not be me) for inspection and repack. Keep a straight face, act like you're serious. Mark

Sort of like indicting John Doe criminals based on DNA profile? I learned something new today. Thanks! Mark

Yes, 5 years for non-fatal hijacking. There's also a statute of limitations for passing the money. So Cooper could have gotten rich writing a book or selling the movie rights -- "Son of Sam" laws preventing criminals from profiting by selling the stories weren't enacted until 1977 and later. The fact that he hasn't come forward is evidence pointing toward his death. Mark

Thanks for the reply. Do you have any online information regarding that? Javelin packing instructions are available as pdf download at Sunpath.com. 14 CFR (= U.S. FAA regulations) 65.129(e) requires packing, maintenance, and alterations to be done according to manufacturer instructions. Mark

Amen. All that jump numbers means is that someone has been hypoxic more often. This thread is way interesting. Keep it up. Cheers, Mark

AC 105-2C para 11 says that riggers (presumably including senior riggers) may assemble approved components from different manufacturers, "in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions." Javelin instructions require use of Sunpath-produced ripcords, so even though we might be allowed to substitute parts in general, in this specific case it is not allowed. It isn't necessarily a question of safety, just legality. Mark

Easier to remove the line-attach bartacks than the line bartacks, and you only have to remove a little more than half as many. Also, you may be able to just leave the original bartacks in place, remove as much of the tape as you can with scissors, and just bartack the new attachment over the old. Check with the manufacturer to see what they might suggest. PD doesn't like redoing the bartacks because the lingerie tape they use is more prone to damage from restitching than Type 3 tape is. Except for that, most of the damage from restitching comes from the disassembly process, not from the reassembly. Mark

Quickest way with least chance for damage is to cut the line attach loops for B and D lines (and brake lines) on both canopies, then replace the line attach loops on the keeper canopy. No fingertrapping required. Assumes canopy with fabric damage is going to be thrown out anyway. Best way is to just install a new line set. Mark

Poynter Volume 1 has a procedure for extending the side flaps of an NB-6 or similar, but it's clear that it's just for use as a sport back, with canopies like T-10 or PC. Just to muddy things up a bit: Poynter's description of an NB-6 says it has a 26' canopy. The description of NB-8 is "Same as NB-6 except that it has a 28' white nylon flat circular canopy." I wouldn't think "same" necessarily means "identical dimensions." More likely, it means "similar in appearance." If so, I'd think it possible that jumpers/riggers of the time may have used the terms interchangeably, similar to the way we do now when we use "T-10" as a generic term to mean an green 35' parabolic canopy, including modified T-10s and MC-1 series canopies. Mark