I don't see anything wrong with Meyer's report, but after checking he was a good distance from the flight path and in a area that could produce those conditions..as for the others, I don't know...Dona sounds sketchy, and I know nothing about the person leaving Portland heading north. others have stated bad weather..

This all fits right in with the case..nothing is in stone..the sketch, the description, the time of the jump etc..even when a witness says no, people discredit the witness...it's crazy...

I've jumped in rain, not a big deal besides the discomfort. High winds (esp with stock round canopies) are a different story.

Ask ANY windsurfer or kiteboarder about the Gorge. It has its own Venturi weather and can be wildly different from the surrounding areas in terms of wind. It's where people go to set sailing speed records.

Kermit, what kind of acft was your ANG unit flying back then? I have friends who were PJs (para-rescue jumpers) with the 129th ANG Air Rescue Squadron at Moffett Field CA. HC 130 Hercs with air refueling gear for helos.

377

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Just like the rest of the case even the weather has conflicts....

NOAA/NWS Daily Weather Map for 7:00 a.m. EST, November 24, 1971. An area of low pressure, centered near the Gulf of Alaska begins to move onshore in the Pacific Northwest, bringing heavy rain to coastal areas at the time the man known as D.B. Cooper jumped out of an airplane he hijacked with $200,000 in ransom into the wilderness below.

Donna Elliott who owned the Ariel Store lived in Amboy at the time and has claimed for years the rain was so heavy she couldn't see across the street. she also claims to have heard the plane..I find that hard to believe since the altitude, even though she claimed 4-5,000 feet could be heard over the sound of the rain..

Meyer Louie was another person and member here that was in the area on that night...

On November 24, 1971 I finished classes in Newberg, Oregon, at George Fox College, and a carload of us headed out to eastern washington for Thanksgiving break. I figure we left around 4 pm. We left Newberg, proceeded up 99, then to I-5 to Portland. Then we cut over to 84 and proceeded east to the 97 turnoff at Biggs Junction (which goes to Goldendale). We took our time, we made a few stops.

The Columbia Gorge for me was the stretch on 84 between Portland and Biggs junction, south side of the Columbia River.

The weather started out ominous and just got progressively worse. The only time I can remember the weather letting up was when we were well into eastern washington, north on 97, well out of the Gorge. By the time we got to The Dalles, we were afraid for our lives because of the fierce wind and rain and poor visibility. I figure we didn't reach Biggs till around 7:30 pm. We had to slow down to almost a crawl because of the wind. If you've been on that stretch of road in bad weather, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Also, on page 41 of Norjak, Mr. Himmelsbach said "The weather was absolutely rotten." I see the time reference closest to that comment was around 8 pm. That comment, and corroborating comments of several others, make it crystal clear that the weather that night was anything but normal.

The lady at the symposium told me, in a private conversation, that she and her husband were on I-5, going north out of Portland, early evening, around 6:30 pm. She said the weather was "horrible" the whole way to Seattle.

Several other also claim stormy weather..none of these people have a reason to cover anything up, so it remains a mystery to what really happened during the flight. I don't know about the weather in Washington, but it can rain on one side of the highway down here..it can storm just a couple miles away while the sun shines here? small pockets of stormy weather can happen, does it happen in Washington, I don't know?

 Donna claims there was snow where she was but I have never witnessed snow in 48 degrees.

I believe snow falls only below 5 degrees Celsius (no higher), or 41 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't know about Oregon, but Vancouver BC has an area downtown sometimes referred to as the Blessed End (West End) because it can be raining everywhere else in the city but sunny in that area. It happens enough to be notable.

Maybe the Gorge Venturi effect is a myth but it is widely published:

"In the middle of the twentieth century the area was primarily known for its fruit orchards, predominantly apples, pears and cherries, and many canneries were located here. In the early 1980's the sleepy town of Hood River, located at the confluence of the Hood River and the mighty Columbia began to come alive with an influx of a new breed of recreational enthusiast... windsurfers. The powerful winds of The Gorge, caused by the high pressures to the west and low pressures to the east in summer which create a natural venturi effect, are funnelled down The Gorge where they pick up speed typically peaking in the mid Columbia region between Hood River and The Dalles.

Nukin' Winds:  News of these fabled winds spread quickly among enthusiasts of the new sport and by the mid 80's windsurfing shops began to spring up all over the area. Summer saw an annual migration of windsurfing enthusiasts from all over the world who came to challenge what soon became affectionately labelled the "nuclear winds" of The Gorge. "It's Nukin'" became the battle cry of these intrepid warriors and the Gorge real estate boom was born." from You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Maybe its just thermal convection or some other cause, not really a Venturi effect, but the Gorge winds are legendary.

377

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Maybe the Gorge Venturi effect is a myth but it is widely published:

"In the middle of the twentieth century the area was primarily known for its fruit orchards, predominantly apples, pears and cherries, and many canneries were located here. In the early 1980's the sleepy town of Hood River, located at the confluence of the Hood River and the mighty Columbia began to come alive with an influx of a new breed of recreational enthusiast... windsurfers. The powerful winds of The Gorge, caused by the high pressures to the west and low pressures to the east in summer which create a natural venturi effect, are funnelled down The Gorge where they pick up speed typically peaking in the mid Columbia region between Hood River and The Dalles.

Nukin' Winds:  News of these fabled winds spread quickly among enthusiasts of the new sport and by the mid 80's windsurfing shops began to spring up all over the area. Summer saw an annual migration of windsurfing enthusiasts from all over the world who came to challenge what soon became affectionately labelled the "nuclear winds" of The Gorge. "It's Nukin'" became the battle cry of these intrepid warriors and the Gorge real estate boom was born." from You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Maybe its just thermal convection or some other cause, not really a Venturi effect, but the Gorge winds are legendary.

377

Gorge? a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it. 

From what I saw, the Columbia Gorge has generally low hills on each side and while the winds are undoubtedly higher than you will find in the flat areas of eastern Washington and Oregon I don't think they would be excessive.

The gorges that I have seen over the years are generally small and localized.  The Royal Gorge in Colorado definitely fits my description of a gorge.  The bridge across it is about 1000 feet above the river.  I have driven across that bridge twice and do not have any plans to do so again.  The bridge flooring seems to be 2 by 6 inch planks and they do not seem to be attached to anything securely.  A mobile home was just ahead of me on one of the crossings and those planks were jumping up and down like crazy.

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Dave Snyder

Shut, what's the latest? Can you give us an update on the happenings with Gene?

for anyone looking into Dave Snyder..

A few pics of him starting 1:21 of video

Nice video. Balding - overbite. Height?

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Dave Snyder

Shut, what's the latest? Can you give us an update on the happenings with Gene?

for anyone looking into Dave Snyder..

A few pics of him starting 1:21 of video

Nice video. Balding - overbite. Height?

He looks quite small in stature...