Thanks for posting the interview with the USPA official Georger. I agree with most but not all of his answers.
My strongest disagreement is with his opinion about a water landing posing no particular problem. I STRONGLY disagree. It could very easily be fatal even for an experienced jumper. I met a Navy pilot who was also a very experienced skydiver (D license). When he had to eject from his plane over water in daylight, he thought that he'd do just fine. The reality was far different. The canopy collapsed over him in the water and he felt lucky to have survived. Confusion, disorientation and panic set in fast. He had an inflatable life vest and a packaged raft but had a difficult time deploying either. My water jumps were in sunny weather into warm water with plenty of support. Even so, it was very difficult to get out of the harness and away from the entangling mess of my canopy and suspension lines. I needed good light to figure my way out. At night in cold water I am not so sure how things would have turned out.
My second point of disagreement is with the opinion that a ten-second freefall delay would be a good idea. NOPE! First it risks a spin. Second, it risks a terrain strike since the altitude above ground was not known to Cooper. Both these risks are completely eliminated by pulling right off the stairs. The chance of being spotted by chase planes or anyone else at night are very low. The canopy doesn't fully inflate until you are substantially below and behind the 727. The visible target is small and not illuminated.
The loafer shoes may not be such a big deal as long as they were not lost during the jump. Ankle support was thought to be a big deal in avoiding landing injuries. High top boots provided some but not much real support since there was nothing rigid or semi-rigid in the upper portion of the boot. The US Army developed ankle braces for paratroopers and bought tons of them. Allegedly sprains were reduced but the rate of fracture injury was relatively unchanged. The site of fractures on those wearing braces was simply moved upwards on the leg just above the top of the brace. Their use was discontinued and they were sold surplus by the thousands. You can still find brand new ones on eBay for a few bucks.
It was interesting where the interviewee ruled out smoke jumpers unless they were also skydivers. Sheridan Peterson was both. Still, to date, Sheridan is just a highly qualified candidate. Not one piece of evidence puts him on the plane. If he really wants to be definitively ruled out why not obtain and publish the results of the DNA work the FBI did? Third parties can't get it while he is alive, but he could.
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