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Georger...I am not suggesting that he purchased this stuff over the counter. I believe based on the facts that its plausible that he was able to obtain this stuff through the military somehow. I believe that Modafinil is controlled (schedule 2 maybe) so I agree; I do not believe its sold over the counter. To be honest with you, I have no idea if it was used obviously; its just a though. Some of the members were bringing up ideas earlier pertaining to stimulants and it came to my mind when I was reading it.

People state that DBC's left very few clues; I kind of think he left more...we just haven't figured them out yet.

I also agree Cooper left a number of clues but it seems that the FBI has tried to convince us he was not very bright and jumped to a certain death. Let's discuss a few.
1. The FBI says " Why would Cooper choose to jump at night into a freezing cold storm " ?  My answer is simple ... because he didn't want to get caught ! If he jumped in the daylight on a clear beautiful day, he would be picked up almost before he landed.
2. Cooper's whole plan was based on jumping out of a plane at night with what amounts to $1,200,000.
This tells me it was not his first jump. Also 777 told us clearly that nobody he has ever witnessed who did their first jumped were ever NOT VERY SCARED. Only a complete idiot would do this under those conditions. Cooper did nothing on this whole caper to tell me he was that dumb.
I like to look at things from a logical perspective. Lots of times logic will solve mysteries. We know with 100% certainty that Cooper flew from Portland to Seattle. If I flew on that flight it would be pretty much impossible NOT to notice this huge river that flows right next to the airport runway right ? If I was going to jump out of this plane on the return trip, common sense tells me to NOT land in this river. Do any of you jumpers think there is ANY chance to survive if you would land in the Columbia ? Both the pilots reported seeing the lights of Vancouver and Portland. It doesn't seem like a stretch to think Cooper must have seen the same thing ! I guess it's all in whether you believe he died in the jump or he survived the jump. If he was experienced, he would have avoided the river !
I think the Money find at Tina Bar could have arrived there without a plant and also without a no pull. Of course being open minded, i see merit in no pull also. But why be closed minded ?

The consensus is, 305 went by Portland on the west side. How far west and on what vector (from where) seems to be the only question.

Note* when I say vector I mean 'vector' and not Victor

I just wanted to note that Both Vancouver and Portland's downtown city centers lie WEST of the I 5 Interstate. Also Portland is 8 or 9 miles SOUTH of Vancouver. Of course so is Tina Bar quite a few miles West of I 5. If what Rataczak says is anywhere close to accurate, why is the exact position of aircraft when it passed Portland so important as Cooper was long gone BEFORE the plane crossed over the Columbia river. I have flown in and out of PDX at least 100 times and airplanes seldom or ever flew directly over Portland City Center.

Where the city centers are located is anyone's guess based on my experience in that area.  Portland appears to be several smaller towns that joined together to form Portland.  There is a business district (more or less again) in the southwestern part of Portland and I think it is actually on the west side (barely) of I-5.

There is no guessing -- no question -- about where Portland's city center is.  Portland, like all bigger US cities, has suburbs -- but there is no mistake about where downtown is.  I worked in downtown Portland for two years.  What is unusual about Portland -- my boss at the USFS, in downtown Portland, and I used to talk about this very topic --  downtown Portland is on the west side of the Willamette River but most of the city proper itself is on the east side of the Willamette River.  I guess that's why Portland has all those bridges.  Quite unusual as far as big cities go.  Downtown Portland lies to the west. 

I agree with Kermit, planes rarely flew directly over city center Portland....and an airplane with a guy in it claiming to have a bomb would very definitely NOT fly over city center Portland -- for obvious reasons.
Meyer

It's my understanding the centerline of V23 goes right through PDX? Will have to check if thats true. 

I don't have to look at some map to know where Portland's boundary and city center is ! I delivered mail to almost every area in Portland. I built about 35 homes in and about Portland area. I owned 31 rentals at one time in the 70's. I held a Real Estate broker license in Oregon from 1968 to 2003. I'm not trying to impress anyone here as I'm fine with my life. I just want people to know that living and working in area gives a person a better perspective of what was going on in 1971. I've been here since my father moved us from Minnesota in 1946. Meyer knows the town pretty good also. Portland is divided into many districts and I can name them all probably without looking in a book or google. Use me but don't obtuse me .... ok !

was the safety of people on the ground ever brought up by the crew, or anyone else during, or shortly after the hijacking. I'm just wondering what the typical view of this was vs what people might think today?

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was the safety of people on the ground ever brought up by the crew, or anyone else during, or shortly after the hijacking. I'm just wondering what the typical view of this was vs what people might think today?

While the airliner was still on the ground at SEATAC, Rataczak suggested that they climb above the overcast and then fly out over the Pacific Ocean until Cooper either blew up the airplane or jumped.  NWA management over ruled him.

Yes, but I think that was more of a disposal mission...

Georger, et. al., just a question: Why do you think Rataczak told me and others that he was flying east of V-23 when Cooper jumped? Confused? Wanted to tell me what he thought I wanted to hear? Just wanted to get me off the phone? Messing with me? It's what he remembers? It's the cover-story for whatever was going on in the USAF's deliberations and the transcript redactions? Etc...

Just askin'.

BTW: I'm really glad you're digging into this fp thing, with the Air Force and Seattle Center.

If you go by the map, the plane was east of V23 for some time, including the 8:10/11 position. 8:12 is in line with V23 then starts to go east again...

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Georger, et. al., just a question: Why do you think Rataczak told me and others that he was flying east of V-23 when Cooper jumped? Confused? Wanted to tell me what he thought I wanted to hear? Just wanted to get me off the phone? Messing with me? It's what he remembers? It's the cover-story for whatever was going on in the USAF's deliberations and the transcript redactions? Etc...

Just askin'.

BTW: I'm really glad you're digging into this fp thing, with the Air Force and Seattle Center.

If you go by the map, the plane was east of V23 for some time, including the 8:10/11 position. 8:12 is in line with V23 then starts to go east again...

Hasn't Ratczk used the word 'drift' a lot when referring to being east? I just worry about these 'latter day revelations of drifting and this n that'. There were no similar 'revelations' on Nov 25th and that is established fact. The search was laid out just east of Woodland stretching over to Ariel based on "statements by the pilots" plural. Who were those "statements" made to that caused the FBI and others to start searching in the Woodland area. What did those statements involve specifically. Did those statements hold up once the Air Force got involved? Where did things stand by the 30th? That's the area currently being fleshed out . . .   

Side note....I was in Tacoma tonight and met a retired NWA pilot who knew Rataczak.  I brought up the DBC case and he said very little about it, only that he knew Rataczak.  I mentioned that Rat's story has caused some confusion, it kinda changed over the years.  He said nothing about that.  He was the guest of honor tonight and I only got a couple of minutes, tops, with  him.  Small world.
Meyer

Hasn't Ratczk used the word 'drift' a lot when referring to being east?

If you simply point a plane in one direction it will not stay in that line very long, it will start to drift, especially, with crosswinds. Anderson's job was critical in knowing where they were at any given time.

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Georger, et. al., just a question: Why do you think Rataczak told me and others that he was flying east of V-23 when Cooper jumped? Confused? Wanted to tell me what he thought I wanted to hear? Just wanted to get me off the phone? Messing with me? It's what he remembers? It's the cover-story for whatever was going on in the USAF's deliberations and the transcript redactions? Etc...

Just askin'.

BTW: I'm really glad you're digging into this fp thing, with the Air Force and Seattle Center.

If you go by the map, the plane was east of V23 for some time, including the 8:10/11 position. 8:12 is in line with V23 then starts to go east again...

Georger:
Hasn't Ratczk used the word 'drift' a lot when referring to being east? I just worry about these 'latter day revelations of drifting and this n that'. There were no similar 'revelations' on Nov 25th and that is established fact. The search was laid out just east of Woodland stretching over to Ariel based on "statements by the pilots" plural. Who were those "statements" made to that caused the FBI and others to start searching in the Woodland area. What did those statements involve specifically. Did those statements hold up once the Air Force got involved? Where did things stand by the 30th? That's the area currently being fleshed out . . .   

Yup, Rataczak told me that the "wind probably pushed us a few miles east of Victor -23."

If Rataczak actually made the above statement, you can take it as being tongue in cheek or such.  When the airliner was on V-23 it was the job of the flight crew, or a coupled autopilot, to keep it the airway centerline per FAA standard operating procedures and directions.

Assuming the airliner flew direct from the Malay Intersection to the Canby Intersection, it would not be on an airway but was still in controlled airspace and would be flying headings as directed by the Seattle controllers.

In both cases above, the airliner would be flying a specific track on the ground and the "drift" would be cancelled out by the efforts of the flight crew to remain on the airway centerline or in the headings the airliner was directed to fly when off the airways.

The airliner would not simply be "drifting" anywhere.