sailshaw

Jo: You say: "I believe he also told others this same thing about seeing the haze of Vancouver and WA when he made a turn - that turn would have been further North than that picture. Perhaps I am a poor judge of distance in planes." I say: Wonder if the co-pilot was talking about the "glow in the clouds over Vancouver" when he says "haze of Vancouver"? I have seen this many times when there is cloud cover and storm over Vancouver/Portland. I believe he knew from his watch and when he saw the glow in the clouds, he then knew when to jump. If he had backed down the stairs as Beliven thinks, DB could have been looking forward and seen the glow in the clouds over Vancouver (and possibly over Portland too) and then knew when to jump. If he left his car in Vancouver, it would have been a short walk (5 to 10 miles) to his getaway car. Totally escaped in his car before midnight. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

Blevins: You say "I don't understand why people poke fun at the idea that Cooper may have backed down the stairs and just pulled the ripcord at the end. Carrying the load DB was packing, and the stairs only dropping 24-36 inches on release. What would YOU do? Bend over REAL low and hope the stairs don't drop suddenly? Hmm. I'm not a skydiver, but if you weren't expecting the stairs to open so little, and it happened, (*surprise, Cooper!*) I'm turning AROUND and taking a good hold before trying those stairs. Smile Maybe this is the reason he sounded a little upset in his last com with the cockpit, after the stairs were opened. ('NO!')" I say that I agree with you on backing down the airstairs and also that he pulled the ripcord so that the chute pulled him away from the last stair as it slowly opened. Like we have seen cargo chutes open in some of the video's here in the DropZone. He would have been exposed to about 3 to 4 minutes of the storm he jumped into. Not long enough to freeze to death as the FBI story goes. So, did he make it to the ground alive? yes. Did he survive the shock of the military chute and harness? (Cossey believed it would have been tremendous but he was wrong on many of the things he should have known), yes. Did DB live? Yes and probably walked to his car that was within 15 miles of his landing spot. That is why nothing has been found except at Tina's Bar and that could have been the three bundles of 20's he offered the crew and they refused. He could have stuffed the three bundles into the sack he carried onboard and into his shirt. The bag of 20's could have been blasted out of his shirt and on its way to Tina's Bar. Bob Sailshaw [email protected] ;Blevins

Georger: Hangdiver says: "eta: so Cossey gave them rigs he had already sold to Hayden...and had just repacked and assembled...I wonder if Hayden had ever been in possession of them yet...???..." According to my talking with Hayden, Cossey had nothing to do with the two "Back Chutes" he provided (other than Cossey was signed in on the rigger packing card and dated May 21, 1971). Hayden had a cab pick up the two chutes at his company in Kent Washington for delivery to Boeing Flight Services. Hayden did not want to get in a news paper hassel with Cossey and avoided him altogether. Hayden knew that Cossey was not telling the truth about the chutes but did not want to get involved in the new paper hassel. So, Hayden was in possession/ownership of the two back chutes provided for NORJAC and was returned one chute by the FBI. That chute is now in possession of the Washington State Historical Museum in Tacoma and can be seen in their DB Cooper display (August or November). Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

To MeyerLouie You say: "As I have been reading the posts these last 2 or 3 days, I still can't help but ask the question: who gives a rat's ass whether Cossey and/or Hayden packed and/or owned the parachutes provided to Cooper? This helps further understanding of the case because _______________________ (fill in the blank)." The Blank as I see it is that the chute used by DB was one of the two supplied by Norman Hayden and the one returned to Hayden by the FBI was the one that DB did not use. However, the importance of the chute returned to Hayden is that it was purchased by Hayden at the same time as the chute that was used by DB Cooper and is a duplicate (exactly the same). So, the chute returned is a piece of the histery that tells us what chute DB used and will be on display at the Tacoma Washington State Historical Museum possibly as early as November this year (2013) in the DB Cooper display. I hope to get a picture of the manufacturing label on the chute to compare with the photo the FBI has of the Amboy chute mfg. date and if they compare, then the Amboy chute was most likely the one used by Cooper. If not, then the Amboy chute can be eliminated as a possibility. My hopes are not high as the chute at the museum has had one of its edges (2 in) pulled out for the photograph Bruce took at Haydens place. That photo shows the chute (and thus the DB chute used) to be rip-stop (probably Dacron). The other important piece of information is the two back chutes provided by Cossey had one modified so that it was a pull for the left hand and not the standard pull for the right hand. This information was used by Cossey to claim DB did not make it as the modified pull would have confused him. However, Bruce and I believe that the two back chutes that got to Cooper were the two from Hayden and not modified. Even though the two Hayden chutes were the same they were packed in two different containers. DB selected the military version of the two containers supplied to him. This was a smart move by DB according to Mark as the military container was more rugged and would have stood up to the forces in the 727 jump better. DB was clever enough to make the right choice. He was a skilled and very experienced skydiver. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

Smokin99 I believe this quote is from you: "Apparently, there were particles on the tie which Tom Kaye and Co. identified as pure titanium. On his website, he states that pure titanium would not have been used in the mfg of aircraft (military or otherwise),(only titanium alloy). This would include the Boeing SST project. From this data, the interpretation was made by the CS team that Cooper did not work in the aircraft industry." I say this needs to be exposed for what it is: The leap to the conclusion that Pure Titanium was not used in the aircraft industry (and Boeing) is based on a lack of knowledge by the Kaye lead Citizen Sleuth team. The team did a great job of finding the two types of Titanium on the DB tie. However their leap to it could not have been from Boeing, it totally wrong. Boeing was experimenting with pure titanium and flame spraying it onto alloy titanium leading edge surfaces. This process was to give the leading edges of the flying surfaces the higher temperature and abrasion resistance of the pure titanium while maintaining the strength of the alloy titanium underneath. The place this was being done at Boeing was in the Materials and Processes Lab 9-101 building in Seattle. This lab was on the main floor with the offices above on the 2nd floor, including the Manual and Handbook Group office where Sheridan Peterson worked. Scrap from the research lab was placed in several "tub skids" in the alleys right next to the lab. A person looking into the tub skids could have easily let their tie hang into the tub skids while scronging through scrap alloy titanium and pure titanium dust. Sheridan would have passed by those tub skids, many times each day going to and from his office. The Citizen Sleuth Team very close to this important clue but missed it through not understanding what Boeing was doing for the SST program. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

Jerry Right on about the FBI case still open and riding on the good the job the FBI have done in the Boston Bombing case maybe they will feel like making another win by quickly solving the Cooper Case. As I have said before, the case can be quickly solved by giving the four letters sent to the News Papers, just following NORJAC, to their new DNA Lab on Seattle to compare the DNA from under the stamps/envelope flaps with the DNA they already have from Sheridan Peterson. A match will blow the case and Sheridan's "Perfect Alibi" wide open and prove he was not in Nepal at the time of NORJAC. Caught with in a big lie to the FBI can then be used as leverage to get the whole story from Sheridan. The DNA is truly the "Smoking Gun" in the case. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

mrshutter45: You say "I will have to read up again on the Mountain news, but I recall Hayden coming up short on any real evidence proving his chutes were used, but don't quote me on it...." I say Hayden provided two back chutes and only got one back from the FBI. That makes me think DB used one of Hayden's chutes. I think Bruce will back up this information as true facts. Cossey can claim that DB used one of his chutes but I don't believe him. I wish Hayden and 377 could examine the Amboy chute, but that will never happen, Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

GEORGER Your comments about Cossey/Blevins leaves me cold as my own experience with trying to talk with Cossey started with an OK for lunch followed by a cop-out a week later. Actually I believe the guy is hiding information about DB and his silk chute story shows what a flake he is with the information he puts out. Also, as a Master Rigger he would not have given out his modified "back chute" that could have been hard to operate. The actual "back chutes" that got to DB were from the Stunt Pilot Hayden and the one not used was returned to Hayden by the FBI. It seams there were six chutes provided, four from Cossey and two from Hayden. The two from Hayden were actually delivered to DB. This is still a big mystery and Bruce probably knows the most about it and has written about it in his Mountain News. Blevins has been giving us some good info on the chutes and should be thanked for it and not treated badly because of his past on the thread. Lets give Blevins a break. On the other hand, I do not trust anything that Cossey says anymore as he claims that Cooper did not survive the jump. He should be smarter than to come to that conclusion and must be leading us astray to hide the real information he has. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

377 Mark says: "I wish the FBI would let me examine the Amboy chute. I'll be up in the Seattle area for a trial in late April. Wish I had a good FBI connection." I say: Mark give me a call when you are here in April. I will be available after April 8th. Remember, it is a free lunch at Seattle Yacht club on me Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

To Robert99 says: "Robert99 you say: "The drift I got the other day is a TEAM of people (within the FBI) are working on the case at this time. Hopefully the information was CORRECT and the FBI is actually consolidating the files and looking for the things that could have slipped thru the cracks regarding old contacts. " I say: That is good news and might mean that the DNA under the stamps/envelope flaps of the four letters sent to the newspapers following the NOJAK caper might get compared with what they have on Sheridan Peterson. A match would blow Shridan's perfect alibi wide open that he was in Nepal at the time. This would finally finish up the case with little extra expenditure of funds. In fact I will donate $1,000 to the FBI to get the above DNA and comparison done. Maybe we are in luck and the case is coming to an end and the FBI gets there man as the story goes.javascript:%20addTag('cool') Bob Sailshaw [email protected] Sailshaw, I don't know why you are addressing this to me since I didn't write the above. Maybe you should read the original post and see who wrote it. A very likely suspect would be Jo Weber. Is there something in the water in Seattle that causes you and Blevins to be acting in such a weird fashion? Robert99 " I say: You are right and it must be the water (rain) we have up here as it was from a reply Jo made to one of your posts. I don't know where she gets the idea that the FBI are still working the case but it would be easy to solve if they would let the DNA do the job. We can hope that they are not on stop and resting on their almost completed investigation. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

Robert99 you say: "The drift I got the other day is a TEAM of people (within the FBI) are working on the case at this time. Hopefully the information was CORRECT and the FBI is actually consolidating the files and looking for the things that could have slipped thru the cracks regarding old contacts. " I say: That is good news and might mean that the DNA under the stamps/envelope flaps of the four letters sent to the newspapers following the NOJAK caper might get compared with what they have on Sheridan Peterson. A match would blow Shridan's perfect alibi wide open that he was in Nepal at the time. This would finally finish up the case with little extra expenditure of funds. In fact I will donate $1,000 to the FBI to get the above DNA and comparison done. Maybe we are in luck and the case is coming to an end and the FBI gets there man as the story goes.javascript:%20addTag('cool') Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

Robert99 You say "Why is Cooper the one with all this aft stair experience and flight experience yet he becomes frazzled over the door and needs an intermediate level off" My answer is DB had some residual pressure difference between the outside and inside pressures that kept the door from opening. With the help of the Flight Attendant, the door opened. The Flight Attendants were knowledgeable how the door worked and this was DB's first time at actually doing it. He did have text book knowledge but that was not enough to do it with out help. Just my guess at what happened but not too unusual. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

skyjack71 You say: " Then on to Seattle and just for fun up to Alaska." I say that when you are in Seattle, I would like to invite you to lunch with Bruce Smith and myself at Seattle Yacht Club and on my ticket. We can compare notes on the DB Cooper Caper and get to put a face on our nom-de-plumes. Let me know when you plan to be here and I will try to fit it into my plans. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

AMAZON You say "I would say that the FBI has moved on to sexier things that get it more funding... the war on terror.. Personally I do not think they give a shit about DB any longer.. and never will unless everything thrown out the backend comes to light.. BUT they never found a body..( I think he walked away) and so much of the other stuff. I don't think anything else will ever come up and it will be unsolved." You are right on and it is too bad as the FBI is so close to solving the case by using DNA from the four letters sent to the newspapers following the DB jump. It is ironic that all they have to do is compare the DNA under the stamps/envelope flaps with the samples they have from Sheridan Peterson. A match would prove that he was not in Nepal but at the scene of the crime in Portland. This would blow his "perfect alibi" of being in Nepal and writing his book. As I have said before, this is truly the "smoking gun" in the case and the FBI has the letters and only need to send them to their Quantico lab. A cost of less than $1.000 which I offer to pay to do it. The FBI will look stupid in the future when the real story comes out and they were so close to solving the crime. I thought they always caught their man, but that was in the good old days' So close, but no cigar!!! Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

TO ALL FROM SAILSHAW Just received the final answer from 377 Mark on Tena vs Tina. ------------------------------------------------------------ It's Tina Mucklow. Period. The sand bar has had a variety of names (or misnaming) including variations of Tina Tina's Tena etc. 73 Mark -------------------------------------------------------------- Enough said, Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

GEORGER: You say: I have no agenda in the DB Cooper case except discovering the truth, and that includes the mystery of how exactly that money came to Tena Bar. Sure, I'm willing to take Amazon's word on the non-dredging possibility. But that doesn't take away the fact that major investigation and theories have been discussed on the dredging issue, and that it has supporters even now. There are countless posts and pictures posted here about it. Different people have gone into the field at Tena Bar and researched it. I thought the idea of an actual dredging test was a solid suggestion. If you can't prove a point, then the best bet is to at least eliminate the possibilities. The fewer possibilities, the closer you may get to the actual truth. Could we all agree to call it Tina's Bar as it is in the FBI web page and not Tena's Bar. It was not named after Tena Mucklow Also, could we put some importance in getting the FBI to retrieve the DNA from under the stamps/envelope flaps of the four letters sent to the newspapers after the NORJACK caper by D.B. Cooper. If the DNA matches what they have on Sheridan Peterson, the case is blown wide open and Sheridan has no "perfect alibi" to hide behind This truly is the "smoking gun" and the last evidence the FBI has that they haven't looked at. Why haven't the envelopes been tested for DNA. The FBI have had now over a year to do it. Why are they not doing it? 1) Hiding the info that Sheridan was CIA or FBI? 2) Not smart enough - They have college degrees and are Lawyers. 3) Being told to just drop it as it has been over 40 years. The FBI always gets their man no matter how long it takes, right? 4) What other excuses do they have? Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

Blevins: You say: "IF it were determined somehow that the Amboy chute, contrary to what the Seattle FBI has stated under suspicious conclusions, DID belong to Cooper... Then this would prove the money did not arrive at Tena Bar by natural, non-human-involvement means, or as a result of Cooper drowning in the Columbia." I would like to chime-in on these two subjectts (Amboy chute and Tina Bar money). The Amboy chute should be looked at by Hayden the Stunt Pilot who claims to have actually supplied the "two Back Chutes". He needs to examine the Amboy chute and determine if it is one of the two he supplied. Earl Cossey's story that it was silk and not nylon does not hold water and he is also too quick to claim that DB died in the jump. The mfg numbers on the Amboy chute should be sent to the manufacturer of the chute to find out what they know about the material it is made from. The Tina Bar money was kept all together as a package by something that might have rotted away. My belief is that the three bundles of 20's complete with their rubber bands, were in fact the three bundles offered to the crew by DB and then the crew refused to accept them. DB in discuss (and all ready suited up with the money bag tied to him) then would have stuffed the three bundles into the paper bag he carried aboard with him and into his shirt. The blast of air in the jump could have blown the paper bag and three bundles of 20's away from DB and into the trees below. The bag could have then provided the move of the money to Tina's Bar including floating in the Columbia. With time the paper bag could have degraded to nothing leaving just the three bundles neatly stacked all together. Possibly Bruce can verify the three packs of 20's being offered to the crew. Then what would DB have done with them when refused? Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

Georger: Sorry I thought you had posted about the oxygen tanks. Actually, Airtwardo brings up some interesting history about passenger oxygen on airplanes. It is actually very confused and involved in what the airlines wanted to have in their fleet. Not to get into the history but there are at least two types of systems for the passengers. Tanks of oxygen dispersed as in the article Airtwardo quotes and oxygen generator cans of various sizes in the overhead. The distributed generator cans systems are much lighter and less complicated (no plumbing) and at some time in the 727 manufacturing history one took over for the other and with many variations too. I only mentioned what I had tested at Boeing and did not intend to open a ball of worms. The passenger oxygen system on NWA 305 may be in 377's manual as it might cover what was going on in 1971. I will only stand by what I said about what I tested at Boeing. I retired over 19 years ago and was an Engineering Manager for the last 18 years. So when I tested the oxygen generators was more than 37 years ago when I was a test engineer. Like Hillary Clinton said "it really dose not matter dose it?" Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

Georger: You say: "The oxygen for the passengers came from other tanks either over the cabin area or beneath the cabin floor. It was supplied to the passengers through constant-flow masks that would drop down, at least in theory, when the cabin depressurized at altitude." I say from experience testing the passenger oxygen supply "cans". That cans are exactly what they are and are mounted in the overhead above each passenger. When the face masks drop down for each passenger, they have to pull down on the masks to actuate "their can" and it causes a small lever to snap over and start the chemical reaction that creates the oxygen within the can to then flow to their own face mask. Each passenger has then their own short supply of oxygen to allow them to breath as the pilot dives to a safe altitude where passengers can breath normally. Remember, their supply is just in their personal can (size of a coke can) when they activate it by the down pull on their mask. The pilots have a much larger supply of oxygen in their one big tank close to the cock-pit. The pilots have plenty of oxygen to do what ever they must do in an emergengy where the passengers only have their coke can size supply that lasts only a couple of minutes. That is long enough to dive to a safe altitude. So, the passengers have only the can above them (and not under the floor) to survive with and the Flight Attendant has a portable oxygen bottle to allow free movement within the cabin and assist passengers that are having problems (usually the passengers don't pull down hard enough to start their supply). So, it is just that simple Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

377 You say: "The tie-tanium could be a very significant clue. Why does it get so little attention? Sailshaw says Tom Kaye is wrong about only alloyed Ti being used on aircraft. Sailshaw says pure titanium was flame sprayed onto the leading edges of high speed aircraft wings and fins." I say to correct your above statement that flame spraying of various metals on the leading edge of the wings and fins, it was being experimented with in the materials lab to see what worked best. I don't know the final version on the SST airplane, but the Boeing lab would have had pure titanium as one of the metals they experimented with. Tom Kaye saying it could not have been from Boeing is just not true. The pure titanium found on the tie actually points to the Boeing Materials and Processing lab in the 9-101 building. Sheridan's office was just above that lab and on the 2nd floor. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

Gorger: Thanks for the support and your question was: "ps: One thing I meant to ask, for my own interest: Has Sheridan ever held a pilot's license and if so what type and what years? Thanks & Good luck. " I would like to say that when I talked with Sheridan for a month and this was 10 years before the DB Caper, he had not talked about a Pilot's license and I expect he had no extra money to pursue getting one in the early days. He had no money when at my place but had just taken a job at the Worlds Fair as the Bubbleator operator, dressed in a space suit. He did go on after that to work at Boeing and in the Kirkland School system. He could have taken training to fly then, but I don't think he had when I knew him. Bob Sailshaw 73's [email protected]

Georger: Good to hear from you and you say: "Sailshaw: Have you considered that perhaps releasing your info that Petey was not in Nepal, might be the trigger needed for the FBI to do the dna testing you want? .... just a thought. But, if Petey wrote the letter(s) does that prove he was Cooper? You have a viable theory going ..." I say, yes I would like to get the FBI moving on the DNA testing of the four letters sent to the news papers. Hopefully, posting here on the Dropzone will get to the FBI and trigger them to get going on it as Sheridan is 89 and getting older each day. I have asked Bruce Smith if he could set-up a meeting with the Seattle FBI and I would be glad to talk with he and them about the urgency of testing the four envelopes for DNA and comparing with Sheridan's they have on file. The DNA will match and it will not show that Sheridan is DB Cooper but the match would show that his "Perfect Alibi" is not valid and he would be caught in a lie to the FBI (a Federal crime in its-self) and Sheridan would be exposed as being at the scene of the crime in Portland and not Nepal. This would quickly solve the crime and we could all relax at being successful and have helped solve the most interesting crime of this century (at least we think so). Galen Cook has said he might be able to get the FBI going too. Bob Sailshaw 73's [email protected]

Blevins: You say "We've been down this road before. I can present witnesses who say Christiansen was heavily tanned, plus there is the excerpt from his own letter. And some pictures. Height? Witnesses varied on the descriptions, so who can say for sure? Not you, not me, no one really. You have yet to present a single shred of evidence placing Sheridan inside the United States at the time of the crime, when even the FBI dismissed him more than a decade ago. Unlike KC, Sheridan WAS investigated by the FBI." I say: Heavily tanned is not the same as Olive skin color but you don't want to recognize that fact. Chinese people have Olive skin color. Christansen had white skin and when in the sun he got tanned but not Olive in color. My evidence that Sheridan was not in Nepal but at the scene of the crime will come out when the FBI compares the DNA from the four letters with what they already have on Sheridan. It blows the "Perfect Alibi" wide open and allow the case to be solved quickly. This is the evidence yet to be looked at that the FBI have in their possession (DNA under the stamps/envelope flaps) and is the "smoking gun" in the DB Cooper Caper. Bob Sailshaw [email protected] Blevins, could you think of a better cover alibi than being in Nepal? No, I didn't think so.

Orange1 I agree with you that Peterson was that kind of guy and with that kind of sense of humor. 377 says: "I'm not sure you can assume the real DBC wouldn't joke about being a suspect, especially after he'd been cleared by an FBI DNA test. He might be an ironic double psych kind of guy who would get a kick out of it. Sheridan Peterson might be that kind of guy." Again I agree with 377 and now that Peterson is 89 years old, possibly he will come forth with what really took place. Or, possibly Sheridan will give us the information in Part II of his book and have "Grecco" do the DBC job and Sheridan is only the author of the "Novel" and not have to admit to the FBI that he did it. Blevins is only too quick to dis-claim Sheridan as it rules out his boy Christansen who is too short at 5ft 8in, wrong skin color not Olive, and blue not brown eyes. When the FBI compares the DNA from under the stamps/envelope flaps of the four letters sent to the news papers with what they already have on Sheridan, this case will be finally solved and Sherdian's Nepal "perfect alibi" will be blown apart. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]

377 You say re the Boeing Skydiving Club: "Disbanded Oct 2011. http://boeingskydivingps.home.comcast.net/...ydivingps/index.html" I would like to say that when Bruce Smith and I talked with the President of the Boeing Skydiving Club (Alan McCarther) we concluded that Sheridan Peterson may have started an informal Boeing Skydiving Club in the 60's but it was not a recognized club and the real one did not start until 1979. Sheridan did a demonstration jump in the 60's to advertise the club and he was dressed in a black suit with loafers just like DB used later in 1971. A photo of the demonstration jump was in the Boeing News at the time showing Sheridan dressed that way. Maybe Snowmman might have that photo in his files. Just a little more trivia for thought about the Cooper Case. Bob Sailshaw [email protected]