D.B.Cooper

[Seafever]

You know ..the guy who jumped out of a commercial jet over Portland area back in the seventies with 200,000 bucks........never to be seen again.

Was watching a show on this the other night........now D.B.Cooper had 4 parachutes on board, 2 of one kind and 2 of another. 2 of them were sport parachutes but he instead chose to use one of the others which I think were of a military style.

Some of the "experts" on the show said he would not have survived the jump because the parachute he chose to use was "unsteerable' and because of this he would have landed in either the lake or river that was purported to be underneath him when he came down.

I thought that ALL parachutes were steerable to some degree........more or less.

Question.......any exmilitary types out there who used to be paratroopers or jumpers who could shed some light on whether those kind of parachutes have any "steerable" qualities.?

I'd have to look up the exact chute he used........will go for a Google....

Not saying he's dead or alive........just want to get an accurate story on "steerable" chutes.....

 

[Gunsmith]

Not an expert, but it is possible to steer but it is a dangerous manouever, that would be pulling the cords on one side to "dump the chute".

 

[Seafever]

Think the chute was " Military,sage-green nylon,28-foot round canopy, (inside a container called NB-8), possibly a miltary surplus C-9 round canopy".......

Discovered a good article on this here:-

http://themountainnewswa.net/2011/10/25/db-cooper-case-


So all those guys that jumped out of planes in WW2 over Germany were basically at the mercy of the wind as to where they came down? Scary thought......

 

[Metal Head]

So all those guys that jumped out of planes in WW2 over Germany were basically at the mercy of the wind as to where they came down? Scary thought......

I would have been more concerned of being shot while floating to the ground than where I would be landing LOL

 

[spring fever]

Most military chutes used in ejection seats are not steerable to any real degree and for the most part the lucky or unlucky rider had very littleexperience or training in their use. The chutes that para rescue use are highly steerable so there is a very wide difference in military chutes and their performance.