Dr. Joe Leeker of U of Texas is the  undisputed expert on the history of US covert air ops using front carriers such as Air America and Southern Air Transport. Dr. Leeker told me that that no operational airdrops were made from 727s during the Vietnam war. The SAT 727 air drops of paratroopers and cargo over Thailand were test drops only. He said there was no need to masquerade as an airliner over an active war zone and there were many acft available in Vietnam that were far better suited for air drops that 727s. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Don Kirlin knows a ton about Boeing's 727 drop tests. He had to access an enormous amount of Boeing paperwork in order to get FAA clearance to use a 727 as a skydiving jumpship. Don is an expert skydiver, airline pilot (727 type rated) and former Navy pilot. He runs a very successful business supplying adversary aircraft for Navy fighter training. Among his fleet are two low time Mig 29s. Read about Don's remarkable business here: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

From WIRED article: "Once he sets his mind to a goal, he's relentless. He soloed his first plane at 16, instructed at 18, and began flying corporate jets three years later. He flew in the Navy, got twin bachelor degrees in business and clinical psychology, and then an MBA, all from the University of Northern Colorado, and moved on to US Airways. In 1993, he asked the FAA to let him parachute from the rear stairway of a Boeing 727, like the infamous skyjacker D. B. Cooper, who disappeared over the Cascades with $200,000 in 1971. Kirlin shrugs his shoulders and grins. "I just wanted to do it because the only other person to do it was Cooper," he says. The FAA said no, unless he could prove unequivocally it was safe. A year later, he presented 6,500 pages of documents to the agency. He remains to this day the only person authorized to operate jumps out of the rear door of a 727."

Several people have tried to interview him about Cooper's 727 jump without success. He is a nice guy but just super busy.

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How much time would it take for an 'experienced vs inexperienced' person to simply put on a parachute (the one Cooper selected) and jump out of the plane?  90 mins ... 45 mins ...  20 mins ...  10 mins ....  05 mins ...  ?

The minimum amount of time ?  Do not include time spent fabricating a money bag or any other extraneous activity!

Witnesses say Cooper put on a chute almost immediately after chutes were brought on board.

Were the passengers still on board when he put on a chute? Did passengers see him putting on a chute?

If you have any common sense it should be rather easy to put the harness on..I figured out a harness for work without anyone telling me how to put it on..time should be less than a minute with adjustments..

...Don Kirlin knows a ton ... In 1993, he asked the FAA to let him parachute from the rear stairway of a Boeing 727, like the infamous skyjacker D. B. Cooper, who disappeared over the Cascades with $200,000 in 1971. Kirlin shrugs his shoulders and grins. "I just wanted to do it because the only other person to do it was Cooper," he says....

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I'm sure Don knows a ton, but he's a little off on his history. Besides Danny Boy and Don, Rob Heady, McNally, Hahneman, McCoy and Richard LaPoint have also done The Jump.

And maybe Walter Reca, too.... (who knows).

Just sayin'... (smile...)

I've put on climbing harnesses without any difficulty. But the NB-6 I saw demonstrated at the DBC Conference in 2011 looked a lot trickier. In fact, I said to myself I "would need help with that."

It was a lot more complicated than the T-5 video above would suggest.

Im following a well researched train of thought on this, based on decades of standardised testing and the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (I had to learn in the 70s) - more tonight. 

Thanks for the info...I'm wondering if they opened the canopy in Reno. the serial number could be on the canopy. I've ask WSHS if this could be done with professional rigger. I was told they all have to agree and will get back to me...

I'm betting they opened the back chute left on the plane and the serial number is from the canopy and not the container. they measured the length and not the diameter?

my NB6 is packed. If someone can connect me with someone who can repack it, I could look for a serial number or markings...

any markings on the container?

Thanks for the info...I'm wondering if they opened the canopy in Reno. the serial number could be on the canopy. I've ask WSHS if this could be done with professional rigger. I was told they all have to agree and will get back to me...

I'm betting they opened the back chute left on the plane and the serial number is from the canopy and not the container. they measured the length and not the diameter?

As I understand it, the back pack that was left on the airliner still had an unbroken Cossey lead rigger seal when it was returned to Hayden.  If so, that guarantees that it was not opened.

Flyjack has been listing some FBI paperwork on DropZone that includes an identical number for what appears to be two different parachutes.  He claims that these numbers are "serial numbers" but they look like simple "contract numbers" to me.  Flyjack also says that Cossey claims to have sent two back parachutes to Boeing Field by taxi just as Hayden did.  Further, according to Flyjack, another two back pack parachutes may have come from McChord.  So in Flyjack's world there could have been up to six back packs and two chest packs involved in the hijacking.   

If someone knows how to contact Hayden, then I suggest that they do so and ask him the following questions:

     1.  Did Cossey assemble Hayden's two back packs in 1971?  If not, then who did assemble them and/or where did they originate?  That is, how and when did Hayden acquire them.  It is obvious that Cossey packed them.

     2.  Was all of the parts of Hayden's two back packs from previously used equipment or were any of the parts new and unused?  Reportedly, one of Hayden's containers had a wear streak on the covering for the rip chord housing.

     3.   Does Hayden know of any basis for the claims that his missing back pack was NOT used by Cooper in his jump?  Flyjack claims that the missing parachute was not used by Cooper but has otherwise been "accounted for", whatever that means.

Does anyone on this site know when the FBI and/or NWA personnel or anyone else on the planet first contacted Cossey about the hijacking?  Specifically, when did Cossey first hear of the hijacking?  I remember reading a FBI memo to the effect that an agent was still trying unsuccessfully to contact Cossey about 1:00 AM or 2:00 AM on the morning (November 25th) after the hijacking or on the morning of November 26th.

Shutter, ask the WSHM to FAX you a copy of both sides of the Hayden parachute's packing log.  That should not be a problem for them.