Hayden provided the two backpack parachutes that were given to Cooper and he said they were identical. The surviving backpack is now on display at the WSHM in Tacoma, WA. The pictures of that backpack indicate that it was put together from a collection of parts that came from different designs and did not itself have a formal designation.
I looked at the pictures of Hayden's rig on Bruce's site. I do not see a 'Frankenstein rig' pieced together from a collection of parts of different designs. This is what I do see:
The harness is a different color from the container. This in and of itself is not that unusual. What is interesting is that the Pioneer label is specific to the harness, and not the whole rig. That big label on the backpad seems to have instructions on it, but I do not see a manufacturer on that. The container does not look pieced together, it seems to be of similar design to the NB's in that both are three-pin rigs with four pack-opening bands and similar ripcord routings. The pack and data card says Pioneer, so it is possible/likely that they made the whole rig. The military NB rigs are made to be rugged, to withstand years of use by different people and in different aircraft. Hayden's rig looks to be made of lighter weight material, which might be typical of rigs built for civilian use, they would be lighter weight and more flexible, and be subject to less wear-and-tear. The military would come up with that NB design, and over the years there may be several manufacturing runs which may be done by different manufacturers. I think I've seen later models of NB's made by Switlick, but it would not be unusual if Pioneer made them at some point. If so, it would not be unusual for them to make the harnesses in batches, then use some of those same harnesses for their other rigs. In the finished form, the harness/container is a singular unit and does not come apart. Those bailout rigs are reserves, and as such they have to pass tests for an FAA TSO. If that rig was not a legitimately manufactured rig, it would not be legal for a rigger to pack it, put his seal on it, sign the card, and provide it for use by someone such as Hayden. I think the notion of a pieced-together rig came from a statement somewhere from Cossey, but those 'pieces' would refer to the other components inside, notably the links, canopy, bridle, and pilot chute. Unless otherwise dictated by the manufacturer, he is free to choose those components as he sees fit, as long as they fit and function suitably, and are TSO'd for such use.
Well geez, I might just stand corrected. Flyjack has that container documented as WW2 era and cotton. I thought it looked kind of old, but I wouldn't have thought THAT old, and at least two riggers signed it off as airworthy, as late as '86?? That thing should probably have been in a museum before either Cooper, Hayden, or whoever replaced the harness got any of their hands on it! Sheesh...
Does this change your mind at all about the probability of survival of Cooper?
No. Parachutes, especially the containers, are exceedingly simple devices, far simpler than, say, the brakes on your car. Nothing about it just being old would prevent it from working. And frankly, it wasn't really all that old when the harness was replaced. If that thing was WW2, that means it was built sometime in the 40's? Someone puts a '57 harness on it, so it's what, 15 or 20 years old at the time? That's not really out of line if it is kept well, especially a bailout rig that doesn't actually get jumped. In civilian hands, how often does it actually get out of the closet? The issue would be more the materials. If, in that time, they went from cotton to nylon, I would think that riggers and the manufacturers would want to get the older ones out of service and replaced with the updated ones. But later in the 70's and 80's (the last date on the card was '86) when it's 30 and 40 years old, that surprises me that someone is still willing to pack it. But it's up to the rigger, who would inspect it's condition. And if that last pack job was just to get it ready for the museum, and not intended for use, that should be noted on the card (but isn't).
Also... Hayden says his two rigs were 'identical'. What does that mean? He's not a jumper, in fact according to Blevins' interview with Hayden, he sort of resented the FAA requiring him to wear it (for aerobatic flying) and never intended to use it (typical for many pilots). So how familiar is he with parachutes? Look at the design of that container, compared with the NB's. Very similar. And how many of those WW2 rigs would there still be around? Irrespective of Cossey's questionable remarks, some documents describe those rigs as one being tan (that one), and the other being sage green. That would be consistent with a newer, nylon rig. And that could well have been what influenced Cooper's choice of which one to take.
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