818 D.B. Cooper
The mystery of D.B. Cooper with the host of The Cooper Vortex podcast. In the news, automatic takeoffs from Embraer, Southwest\u2019s business improvement plan and the reaction by the activist Elliott hedge fund, the airship crash in Brazil, the Rolls-Royce electric propulsion unit, and the bad air travel decisions allegedly made by the Mayor of New York City. We also hear from Hillel and a listener about the Boeing Starliner, and from several listeners about executive jets.\n\n\n\nD.B. Cooper artist sketch.\n\n\n\nGuest\n\n\n\nDarren Schaefer is the host of the The Cooper Vortex podcast. Darren grew up in Woodland, Washington next to where D.B. Cooper is believed to have landed, and had been passionate about the mystery for a decade. In the podcast he started years ago, Darren interviews experts who have something to contribute to the conversation about the mystery, such as authors, pilots, aircrew, paratroopers, and skydivers.\n\n\n\nD.B. Cooper hijacked Orient Airlines Flight 305, a B727, on November 24, 1971. Cooper said he had a bomb and demanded $200,000 in ransom. Upon landing in Seattle, Cooper requested parachutes, released the passengers, and told the crew to refuel the aircraft and fly to Mexico City after refueling in Reno, Nevada. During that flight, Cooper opened the airplane\u2019s aft door and parachuted into the night over Washington state. He was never seen again. This remains America's only unsolved skyjacking.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDarren helps us understand why the public remains intrigued with D.B. Cooper after decades have passed, how \u201cDan Cooper\u201d became \u201cD.B. Cooper,\u201d and how that helped the FBI weed out those who claimed to be Cooper.\n\n\n\nDarren tells us about Cooper copycats, available physical evidence, and changes to commercial aviation made to reduce airliner hijacking. That includes the \u201cCooper vane\u201d which locks the B727 aft stairs. (Darren wants one so contact him if you know a source.) He also describes how the three segments of the DB Cooper community (aviation people, skydivers, and true crime fans) view the mystery. We note D.B. Cooper\u2019s thoughtfulness toward the passengers and crew, and his apparent technical knowledge suggesting an aerospace background.\n\n\n\nDarren will be the master of ceremonies at CooperCon 2024 the annual DB Cooper Convention being held at the Seattle Museum of Flight November 15-17, 2024.\n\n\n\nBooks of interest:\n\n\n\n\nThe Skies Belong to Us, Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking by Brendan I. Koerner.\n\n\n\nSkyjack: The Hunt for D. B. Cooper, by Geoffrey Gray.\n\n\n\n\nSee FBI Records: The Vault, D. B. Cooper and Key piece of evidence in D.B. Cooper investigation to be displayed at Tacoma museum.\n\n\n\nAviation News\n\n\n\nAutomatic takeoffs are coming for passenger jets and they\u2019re going to redraw the map of the sky\n\n\n\nAlong with other improvements announced at Farnborough, Embraer is introducing the \u201cE2 Enhanced Take Off System,\u201d an automated takeoff system designed for the company\u2019s E2 jets. Embraer says \u201cThis automatic take off system produces a more precise and efficient rotation moment and flight trajectory, reducing the required field length and pilot workload; meaning more payload and more range from challenging airports. This gives the E2 best in class performance from airports like London City, Florence, and Santos Dumont. Adding 350NM in range from LCY for example.\u201d Embraer has started flight testing and aims for approval by aviation authorities in 2025.\n\n\n\nSouthwest Airlines to cut service and staffing in Atlanta to slash costs\n\n\n\nAccording to a company memo seen by CNBC, for the April 2025 bid, Southwest is planning to reduce service in Atlanta and cut as many as 140 pilot and 200 flight attendant jobs. Southwest will reduce Atlanta gates to 11 from the current 18. Activist hedge fund Elliott Investment Management continues to call for Southwest CEO Bob Jordan to resign.\n\n\n\nThe CEO of Southwest Airlines called an activist investor's criticisms 'inane'\n\n\n\nSouthwest CEO Bob Jordan said it is inane that Ellio...