Robert99

There is information online listing the Air America 727s that were used in southeast Asia. And that number was only about three or four if I remember correctly. Assuming that there were other contractors who operated 727s in the same manner, the total number would be higher but there was not a great number of 727s used in this manner. In your listing of all the "possible" flight personnel who could have figured out how to jump from a 727, you would have to exclude NWA since they didn't know that the rear steps could even be lowered in flight until Boeing personnel told them. How many of the flight personnel you mentioned had even thought about lowering the steps in flight prior to the hijacking? How did Cooper know that only the rear steps on the 727 could be lowered in flight and not the steps on other aircraft such as the DC-9? According to Tosaw, Cooper told Tina Mucklow that he knew that the 727 could take off with those steps down. Cooper gave the crew specific flap settings and airspeeds. All of this "suggests" that Cooper was familiar with the 727, knew what he was talking about, and "probably" had first hand experience and knowledge on the aircraft.

Only a small number of 727s, probably less than five but almost certainly not more than 10, were used for dropping parachutists and other items prior to the hijacking. Cooper's technical knowledge of the 727 indicated that he had participated in such operations directly and had not just gained that information in hangar flying or bull sessions. The people who were conducting these operations were not known for broadcasting them far and wide. On a "need to know basis", there would only be a few people who knew the speeds and aircraft configurations that were being used. Some Boeing engineers and workers, but only a very limited number, would be aware of this since they probably designed and made modifications to the rear stairs to facilitate these operations. Tina Mucklow is quoted in Tosaw's book as saying that Cooper checked the packing card and pre-flighted the back pack parachute that he took. Tina also said that Cooper was obviously experienced in putting on parachutes. But if Cooper tied the money bag to himself in the manner described in Tosaw's book, he was just plain stupid since he would probably wrap the money bag tether around himself as he tumbled, and he would have, upon leaving the aircraft.

My guess would be that less, and probably a LOT less, than 500 people who were on this planet in late 1971 would have the specific technical information on the 727 that Cooper had. Cooper probably had extensive experience in wearing parachutes but little, if any, in jumping itself.

Musika Farnsworth also has the first of a series of articles on the Cooper hijacking in the May 2010 issue of The Parachutist Magazine. Perhaps you could contact Farnsworth through that magazine and either get a back copy or a referral to where a copy of the article can be found online. Robert Nicholson