Shutter: You're right, my bad. There's no indication who suggested Cooper could have sat on the stairs.

Confer pages 277 and 278 where Boeing test pilots give their opinions, including their belief that the crew would probably not feel the actual jump, only the oscillations.

Temps for December 6, 1971  Actual:43° | 32° which are pretty close to Turkey day...nothing about what it was like on the stairs (temp wise)..they would of blocked most of the wind, but how cold would it really be on the stairs..

Robb Heady jumped from 12,000 feet at a speed of at least 300 mph. He said the temperature and wind were not a factor on the stairs. Other skydivers here and at the DZ have stated that there is little wind on the stairs due to the perturbations of wind blowing around them. Think of it as the Initial Cooper Vortex.

This pix reminds me, 377, that you have YET to post confirming photographs of those ladies from New Zealand you said jumped au natural.

That raft looked incredibly stable for descending at what, 110 mph? Does everyone in the raft have to climb in while on the plane - and then they all get pushed out the door? How does that happen?

BTW: I notice that there are no 68-year old men in this photo. Just sayin'....

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Shutter: You're right, my bad. There's no indication who suggested Cooper could have sat on the stairs.

Confer pages 277 and 278 where Boeing test pilots give their opinions, including their belief that the crew would probably not feel the actual jump, only the oscillations.

I believe the test pilots also stated that the airliner crew would only feel the oscillations if one of them was hand flying the aircraft (autopilot off).

Makes it more complicated since they have stated in the past that the auto-pilot was used for most of the flight...

True.  The test pilots were saying that the oscillations were quite small and smooth and probably not noticeable unless one of the pilots was hand flying the aircraft and could notice the small control wheel movements caused by the change in the center of gravity.

The test pilots apparently didn't even mention hearing or feeling the stairs slamming shut when they dropped some weights from them.  This was apparently done as part of the Air American deal.

Who is the fellow in the lower right hand side of the picture?

Indeed!

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Shutter: You're right, my bad. There's no indication who suggested Cooper could have sat on the stairs.

Confer pages 277 and 278 where Boeing test pilots give their opinions, including their belief that the crew would probably not feel the actual jump, only the oscillations.

I believe the test pilots also stated that the airliner crew would only feel the oscillations if one of them was hand flying the aircraft (autopilot off).

Makes it more complicated since they have stated in the past that the auto-pilot was used for most of the flight...

True.  The test pilots were saying that the oscillations were quite small and smooth and probably not noticeable unless one of the pilots was hand flying the aircraft and could notice the small control wheel movements caused by the change in the center of gravity.

The test pilots apparently didn't even mention hearing or feeling the stairs slamming shut when they dropped some weights from them.  This was apparently done as part of the Air American deal.

I caught that too. Seems like the description is almost an attempt to minimise or trivialise the affects? I find that curious. But, what then follows is this rather long detailed hypothesis about Cooper possibly sitting on the stairs and traveling along without jumping (sightseeing clear into Oregon and Nevada ... with his ass on the stairs and 'no oscillations? )? The hypothesis is almost given equal status to the empiracle fact of oscillations (and no bump)! Something doesn't quite add up, or does it?

Maybe they are trying to tell people: dont make your minds up yet! ?

To balance this consider the testimony and actions of Rataczack, Soderlind following events in real time back in Minneapolis making notes, testimony  of the TAG team members who conducted the test, and all the other documents/witnesses which very clearly note the oscillations and a "bump" as decisive evidence "we think he he may have just left us" and "we think he jumped clear back in Washington" etc. ...... (Scott's words).

Otherwise, the new long, carefully connected and edited pdf, is wonderful! I wish I had had this before going through the thousands of smaller docs trying to index and classify each one - aaaaaaaaaaaaargh! I wish we had had this doc back in 2008! I wonder what the date of this document is? There is no cover page or date that I could find. What was its purpose - to train and educate new case agents about the Cooper case?   
   

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This pix reminds me, 377, that you have YET to post confirming photographs of those ladies from New Zealand you said jumped au natural.

That raft looked incredibly stable for descending at what, 110 mph? Does everyone in the raft have to climb in while on the plane - and then they all get pushed out the door? How does that happen?

BTW: I notice that there are no 68-year old men in this photo. Just sayin'....

The naked female formation team was from the Netherlands not New Zealand. I didn't take pictures.

Aerodynamicists would take interest in what I observed. Female body parts have resonant oscillation frequencies. Flutter is the aero engineering term that comes to mind. Silicone implants complicate the motion.  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Rafts are loaded onto the jumpship only partially inflated. It takes some experience to get it right. As the plane ascends the raft swells. The raft occupants exit in the raft which is launched with the other jumpers hanging on to the ides to stabilize it.

377

   

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This pix reminds me, 377, that you have YET to post confirming photographs of those ladies from New Zealand you said jumped au natural.

That raft looked incredibly stable for descending at what, 110 mph? Does everyone in the raft have to climb in while on the plane - and then they all get pushed out the door? How does that happen?

BTW: I notice that there are no 68-year old men in this photo. Just sayin'....

The naked female formation team was from the Netherlands not New Zealand. I didn't take pictures.

Aerodynamicists would take interest in what I observed. Female body parts have resonant oscillation frequencies. Flutter is the aero engineering term that comes to mind. Silicone implants complicate the motion.  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Rafts are loaded onto the jumpship only partially inflated. It takes some experience to get it right. As the plane ascends the raft swells. The raft occupants exit in the raft which is launched with the other jumpers hanging on to the ides to stabilize it.

377

But what happens to the raft when everyone deployes their parachutes? Does it just float off and land whereever? Or does someone like stick I knife in it and deflate it and hold on to it? I have so many questions about this.