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The cadmium plated harness hardware on the NB8 rig, the ripcord pin cones,  the riser connector links and (stainless steel?) ripcord cable tube could literally survive for centuries.

A long time ago I posted info about submerged unopened WW2 parachutes found 70 years later in great shape.

If above ground, UV would likely destroy all the nylon stuff eventually, but some of the metal parts could last a long long time.

The flexible segmented cable tube is very distinctive and if found with other hardware might cause further inquiry and subsequent identification as parachute gear.

377

As much as I LOVE you, 377, you drive me crazy with your persistence with the NB-6/NB-8 stuff. Whaddabout Hayden's Steinthaul Pioneer?

You got me Bruce. That rig too.

I still admire the work you did on chute types and ownership. You took commonly accepted "truths", did some feet on the street work, and blew Cossey's chute ownership story to pieces.

I wish you could contact Norman and see if he used the metals found on the "Cooper tie" in his machine shop. Pure titanium, bismuth, aluminum, etc. I have always wondered if Norman's rigs had traces of these metals on them from being carried through his machine shop. If the tie was Coopers and if the tie contacted the metal contaminated rigs, it might explain what Tom and Al found in the lab work.

What do you think?

377

Norman refuses to talk with me, in toto. He feels that I have sullied his reputation by writing about his association with Earl Cossey. Sigh. (And my reputation isn't when I'm the guy getting labeled as Coss's murderer by Mrs. Cooper? Go figure!)

Anyways. I suggest that you talk with Norman directly. He's a nice guy and generally receptive to these kinds of inquiries. If you need contact info, give me a holla. In the meantime, Hayden Manufacturing. Kent, WA.

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What other Cooper characteristics other than the following list would lead a prospector to pay dirt?  Anything else that could be added that the seasoned Cooper vets can think of?  I’ll share the claim with the heavy lifters if I strike.


Facial features that closely match composites;

Height and build that closely match witness descriptions;

High hairline, forehead with some kind of unusual slant;

Had dark colored hair, irregular hairline;

Ears somewhat asymmetrical;

Close-set dark eyes, no eyelashes, short bushy angular eyebrows, and black lines above eyelids when open (hooded or droopy);

 â€œTurkey gobble” fold of skin below chin;

Swarthy or olive skin complexion;

Protruding lower lip;

Purses lips, action described as having relaxed and contracted positions (noticeable always or only when distressed, concentrating, etc...?);

Had two crooked front teeth;

Speaks English in a low voice, intelligently, and without any discernible accent;

Can be thoughtful and polite;

Possibly volatile when angered, carries a grudge;

A Caucasian male who was 35 years old or more in 1971 (79 years+ nowadays);

Possible military background, likely combat hardened;

Connected somehow with the Pacific Northwest;

Possible working knowledge of the French language;

Possibly connected with Canada and likely able to pass freely back and forth across the border (i.e. lacking criminal record).


On the “Bing Crosby” composite without sunglasses, there is some kind of shading, or so it would seem, on the bridge of the nose on the left side.  Is this some kind of shading by the sketch artist to indicate a mole or some other mark? I understand witnesses described Cooper as having no distinguishing marks or tattoos.  The age enhanced composite or “B” composite without sunglasses does not appear to have a similar feature.

The high forehead on the Bing composites seems somewhat laterally compressed with a hint of some form of raised bumps about mid-level, however, the B composite appears to show a somewhat more symmetrical forehead. 

There appears to be no description of his hands, which would have been the only other exposed skin surface visible to the various witnesses.  I’m curious if his hands were beefy, boney or somewhere in-between.  Was there anything released publically whether he was right or left handed, or ambidextrous?

If Cooper had a grudge before the skyjack, it would not be a stretch to think that grudge would have been amplified when the realization that the cash was marked set-in.  Good enough reason to write a book and try to at least get some royalties for the effort of it all.  Looking for a really angry old man getting royalty cheques might help.

The cash was marked ?  Gray claimed this but never explained. Have you a reference to this other than Gray? Other than the serial numbers and each bill being photographed (as explai9ned at length elsewhere) how was it marked?

As for the rest of your questions above, I dont think anyone here can address them. You would have to put these questions to the FBI and at this point I seriously doubt even they could answer these questions ?

Thanks Cooper Vets

Must be a fairly good list of physical and profile characteristics.  Many years ago saw a movie where a criminal was executed by fellow townsfolk by placing a wooden door over the condemned person and all the townsfolk paraded by and each placed a small stone on top of the door.  And, well – you get the picture.  So I’ll add the ability to write in cursive to the list and scratch all the unknowns.  Agreed though that no one knows who wrote the original handwritten note handed to the flight attendant other than the person(s) involved in the caper.  Cooper did have by all accounts the presence of mind to retrieve it – likely because of fingerprints and handwriting clues. 

There must be some other small stones that are yet to be laid?

Cursive was a basic part of American education by the 1920s ... or earlier. Not sure about other areas of the world. Usually taught in the third grade? Does this mean he had a traditional American education? I dunnoh! 
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Canadian schools from what I understand also taught cursive starting in grade 3 in the era Cooper would have been a student.  French was compulsory in High School.  That may narrow the geographical range of his youth when you add in the lack of distinguishable accent to western US and/or Canada.  Learning French in High School would likely reduce the development of an accent while still having a command of the language. 

I consider this handwriting business to be about half a clue.

In general, I believe people feel comfortable communicating with other people in writing, especially strangers, in predictable ways. I write in cursive, but I will print for other people because my cursive is atrocious. This can't be too controversial, we've all experienced this at some point.  So, cursive was a part of the education of any Cooper suspect, but Cooper felt comfortable writing in cursive, for strangers, to commit a crime. And apparently it was "legible" (unlike mine). I don't believe this handwriting business will do anything other than represent one small part of eliminating marginal suspects. Barb Dayton, when she was writing for other people, wrote in a messy all caps (or most caps) print. She likely knew cursive, but I don't think she ever wrote in it, based on the documents included in the Ron and Pat's book. Thus, one "minus" on the checklist for Dayton. That's it, just half a clue to go with the other problems with Dayton as a suspect. In a lot of ways, I think the best we can do in this case is eliminate suspects, and this is one way to help do that.

I consider this handwriting business to be about half a clue.

In general, I believe people feel comfortable communicating with other people in writing, especially strangers, in predictable ways. I write in cursive, but I will print for other people because my cursive is atrocious. This can't be too controversial, we've all experienced this at some point.  So, cursive was a part of the education of any Cooper suspect, but Cooper felt comfortable writing in cursive, for strangers, to commit a crime. And apparently it was "legible" (unlike mine). I don't believe this handwriting business will do anything other than represent one small part of eliminating marginal suspects. Barb Dayton, when she was writing for other people, wrote in a messy all caps (or most caps) print. She likely knew cursive, but I don't think she ever wrote in it, based on the documents included in the Ron and Pat's book. Thus, one "minus" on the checklist for Dayton. That's it, just half a clue to go with the other problems with Dayton as a suspect. In a lot of ways, I think the best we can do in this case is eliminate suspects, and this is one way to help do that.

Writing is a formal matter vs spoken speech, indicates education, rules, ... of which social rules are a part. Knowledge of such matters was a recognized part of early test batteries devised by Seashore and others for use in screening and placement of military and other personnel in WWII, including in private industry. It indicates that Cooper had been exposed on some level to formal basic education somewhere. The development of his cursive indicates he passed successfully through that educational level ... and if Dr. Seashore was correct this is a key component to the development of "conscience" and "self identity".
  

If Cooper ever served in our military (or in the Canadian military) in WWII, if his induction was no earlier than about 1938 there very likely was once was a battery of test results on him, somewhere, with a sample of his hand-writing!

Apparently, no finger prints ever matched up for this guy, that lead to his records!

I think Cooper KNEW a 727 could be jumped. Without that knowledge he was likely to be entering a mobile aluminum jail cell.

Boeing knew it. CIA, Southern Air Transport and Air America knew it. NWA did not know it.

I bet those who were connected to parachuting activities in SE Asia heard about the SAT 727 jumps over Thailand. Parachuting gossip among fellow jumpers transcends all restrictions and classifications, trust me on that.

One reason I think Boeing is a more likely source is that the 727 jumps over Thailand had the door and stairs removed. Those jumps told you a 727 exit at moderate speeds was survivable, but it didn't tell you for sure that a 727 airliner airstair door could be opened and the stairs deployed safely in flight.

I believe, but have no proof, that the Boeing tests involved opening the door and deploying the stairs in flight. This is supported by Boeing's affirmative answers to the NWA questions about whether the aircraft could be safely flown with the door open and stairs deployed.

SP worked for Boeing in technical documentation and also jumped in SE Asia (Saigon Sport Parachute Club). He was an ex USFS smoke jumper and it is beyond dispute that the CIA recruited a lot of smoke jumpers to assist in covert air drop ops in SE Asia. None of this proves he was DBC but it does show some interesting possibilities.

I am well aware that having the skills and connections doesn't mean a person did the crime. I have zero evidence that SP was DBC, but he sure had the skills and experience. I sure wish I could talk with him, find out what he learned at Boeing and what he heard in SE Asia. Pete may have nothing to do with Norjack but he'd make a damned good detective on the case.

Sadly Pete thinks I am FBI/CIA and wont engage with me at all. I sent him a holiday cheer basket. He seems to be a lonely guy. He needs to know that old skydivers care about and look out for each other.

377

I consider this handwriting business to be about half a clue.

In general, I believe people feel comfortable communicating with other people in writing, especially strangers, in predictable ways. I write in cursive, but I will print for other people because my cursive is atrocious. This can't be too controversial, we've all experienced this at some point.  So, cursive was a part of the education of any Cooper suspect, but Cooper felt comfortable writing in cursive, for strangers, to commit a crime. And apparently it was "legible" (unlike mine). I don't believe this handwriting business will do anything other than represent one small part of eliminating marginal suspects. Barb Dayton, when she was writing for other people, wrote in a messy all caps (or most caps) print. She likely knew cursive, but I don't think she ever wrote in it, based on the documents included in the Ron and Pat's book. Thus, one "minus" on the checklist for Dayton. That's it, just half a clue to go with the other problems with Dayton as a suspect. In a lot of ways, I think the best we can do in this case is eliminate suspects, and this is one way to help do that.

Agreed – however I would argue that the value of any clue exists on a sliding scale which is context-dependent. 

On its own, the ability to write in cursive doesn’t mean much, but when placed beside other facts like lack of accent, it helps narrow the focus somewhat.  When taken in consideration with other known facts such as the climate during his formative years it takes on more value.  Cooper came into the world somewhere near the ‘crash of 1929’ and endured the hardships of the great depression as a young child.  His adolescence was likely during the height of WWII and about the time he would have been of the age to graduate High School – Korea.  Yet it would appear that through all of this he received a formal education of some sort. 

If any of those taunting letters that were sent to newspapers were in truth sent by the hijacker, it would appear that the author went out of their way to not write in cursive.  That may raise suspicion amongst the curious.  Even those who pen correspondence in cursive still fill out forms and insert acronyms into documents in capital and lowercase letters only.   Perhaps a document will surface some day that may provide a handwriting match to capital letters and lowercase letters printed on the purported Cooper notes and envelopes.  In that case, the cursive clue graduates from half clue to full-on clue.

Granted we don’t know in reality who wrote anything linked to the caper, maybe his mommy wrote the notes and the cursive clue is without any value whatsoever.

Have you had a chance to read the crew notes taken shortly after the hijacking?


By the way....Welcome to the forum 

Thanks, I've been following for a while.

No, I haven't read those notes, where can they be found?  I'd like to get a read of the Missing Persons Report also, but understand it is for LE eyes only.