It could of been the ceiling level that made them believe Cooper knew aviation? above 10,000 requires 02. also as 377 pointed out earlier that a lot of people haven't a clue with trim, rudders, and flap settings, but if one gains the fundamentals about them, he's good to go.

If we take note here with this whole discussion, another pattern surfaces. most on this panel believe it's possible Cooper wasn't a pilot, and now it appears the pilots are also the majority in this discussion against the statement as well. this doesn't make things a fact, but should be taken into consideration while trying to find some sort of background with Cooper.

I'm not 100% that he wasn't a pilot, but in the same sense I can't say he was. I lean more to Cooper gathering information with a lot of his statements. a criminal will case the area, it's possible he knew landmarks from his planning, and wasn't a resident as many believe.

This gets to the point of whether Cooper made it, or didn't make it. nobody can say for certain either way. we just don't have enough evidence to state facts about certain things. I believe this pattern follows a lot of things surrounding this case...

The problem I see with the flight plan forms is nobody from Seattle, or Portland acknowledge this. it appears to have come from out side sources..(Utah)

Cooper didn't have a flight plan, other than fly south....Mexico City, or anywhere in Mexico...

"Snowmman, Sluggo, Farflung and other pilots familiar with the 727 questioned Bruces'/Rataczak's claim. Pilots in particular stated that such a request was highly "redundant" for any pilot (or anyone else professionally familiar with the 727) to make. Farflung said, "It's not something any pilot would ever say. It's like asking for the bay doors down after you have already asked for the wheels down!". Farflung's reading of Cooper's avionic requests was that there was a high degree of redundancy throughout his requests concerning the plane; not something any pilot or person familiar with the plane on a professional level would ever do, or say. Farflung couldn't understand why Rataczak would think Cooper was some kind of expert, unless Rataczak was under stress and not thinking straight."

--What do we mean by "redundant"? That the flaps have to be down at 15d for the gear to be down? Because this is not true. And neither is the reverse.

"Second, it is possible that the different airlines that flew the 727 specified different flap settings for the same indent position.  So Cooper specifying 15 degrees flaps may only be coincidental to the NWA flap indent positions."

--Very unlikely.

Ive now had time to look at the crew interviews regarding Cooper ordering flaps at 15 degrees. Here's the result:

Anderson: "they (we) would fly with landing gear down and flaps down."  No mention of 15 degrees.
Rataczak:  No mention of 15 degrees.
Mucklow:  "gear down --- flaps down --- don't go over 10,000 feet altitude". " No mention of 15 degrees. "The hijacker displayed an extensive knowledge of the aircraft and seemed specifically well informed in refueling procedures ... " Mucklow states that hijacker complained about not being given the knapsack to carry the money in and said he would now have to cut ropes from a parachute or make a container for the money. In addition she also states that she expressed concern about being sucked out of the aircraft when opening the rear door and stairs and said she wanted a safety rope so also asked Cooper to cut parachute rope to fashion a safety cord for her. This is apparently the reason a parachute was opened and cord cut - it was a joint effort by both Mucklow and Cooper to fit the circumstances at the time. 

Mucklow Interview II - Pennsylvania: Here is specific mention of Cooper ordering 15 degree flaps. Mucklow says:

"He said we're going to Mexico City. gear down, flaps down, and you can trim the flaps to 15, you can stop anywhere in Mexico to refuel but not here in the United States. The aft door must be open and the stairs down." 

So, in addition to Rataczak saying Cooper said 15 degree flaps, here is a passage where Mucklow says he ordered 15 degree flaps.

Smith and 377 must be gratified that I took the time to bail them out! A long list of people at DZ were wrong including Agent Carr, etc. Next time Smith, find your own ride to Ariel ! - I just had to say that for a couple of people in dire need of relief from the Great One! Get Galen to take you!

 


 

prior to taking off, this was said in the transcripts...see below

prior to taking off, this was said in the transcripts...see below

It was Rataczak who suggested using a rope to secure Tina according to that ARINC teletype message and Minneapolis concurred. Also, at least one of the other stewardess said in her interview that Cooper had already opened one of the reserve parachutes before they even left the aircraft.

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prior to taking off, this was said in the transcripts...see below

It was Rataczak who suggested using a rope to secure Tina according to that ARINC teletype message and Minneapolis concurred. Also, at least one of the other stewardess said in her interview that Cooper had already opened one of the reserve parachutes before they even left the aircraft.

Its come to the point I cant remember all of this material from diverse sources, it requires constant updating with more yet to come (apparently), and I just dont have the motivation I used to have. Good luck to the human super computers who can remember all of this ! 

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prior to taking off, this was said in the transcripts...see below

I had forgot these passages - its a clear reference to Cooper saying openly, since the knapsack hadn;t come he would now have to open a parachute and cut cord. That explains why he opened a parachute and cut cord. But simultaneous to this Tina and the crew were also concerned about having Tina secured if/when she opened the rear door and stairs, so Tina says in her interview she also told Cooper to 'cut me some cord too'! to use as a security measure. So, there is no mystery about why and when the parachute was opened and cord cut.

Didnt someone post once saying all the cord cut hadn't been accounted for - Kaye and Carol analysis? Well here is the accounting in the recently released crew interviews as to why cord was cut from a parachute, and its use.
 

I think Carol points out that more cord was cut from previous statements by the FBI. it's close to 80 feet I believe. that's a test right there, try and use that much cord wrapping the money, and securing it to yourself....I believe the rope Home Depot has would be similar in size. I use it as well. looks like climbing rope.

Paracord is everywhere these days - I run into it every place I seem to go now, in places that never had it before. 

On another note, reading the pilot notes again refreshed my memory about just how involved NWA and Soderlind were ... with numerous communications back and forth throughout the whole ordeal... at one point Rataczak asks: "is this all being recorded?" ... "Affirmative" comes back. Those communications are not in the PI Transcript as R99 has always noted. When I asked the director of the NWA Hist group if he had those communications he replied "I wish I did! Ive tried to find them to get them many times...." In other words, R99's wish to have a complete set of all of the communications is always in the back of my mind ... but the Pilot notes pdf is a small window into this. Reading anew last night was kind of refreshing.