The mystery of D.B. Cooper with the host of The Cooper Vortex podcast. In the news, automatic takeoffs from Embraer, Southwest’s 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.

Guest

Darren 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.

D.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’s aft door and parachuted into the night over Washington state. He was never seen again. This remains America’s only unsolved skyjacking.

Darren helps us understand why the public remains intrigued with D.B. Cooper after decades have passed, how “Dan Cooper” became “D.B. Cooper,” and how that helped the FBI weed out those who claimed to be Cooper.

Darren tells us about Cooper copycats, available physical evidence, and changes to commercial aviation made to reduce airliner hijacking. That includes the “Cooper vane” 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’s thoughtfulness toward the passengers and crew, and his apparent technical knowledge suggesting an aerospace background.

Darren 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.

Books of interest:

• The Skies Belong to Us, Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking by Brendan I. Koerner.
• Skyjack: The Hunt for D. B. Cooper, by Geoffrey Gray.

See FBI Records: The Vault, D. B. Cooper and Key piece of evidence in D.B. Cooper investigation to be displayed at Tacoma museum.

Aviation News

Automatic takeoffs are coming for passenger jets and they’re going to redraw the map of the sky

Along with other improvements announced at Farnborough, Embraer is introducing the “E2 Enhanced Take Off System,” an automated takeoff system designed for the company’s E2 jets. Embraer says “This 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.” Embraer has started flight testing and aims for approval by aviation authorities in 2025.

Southwest Airlines to cut service and staffing in Atlanta to slash costs

According 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.

The CEO of Southwest Airlines called an activist investor’s criticisms ‘inane’

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said it is inane that Elliott (which holds an 11% stake in Southwest) would call the airline’s plan to improve its business “rushed and haphazard.” At an investor day presentation, Elliott said “I hope you can tell that the plan that we presented today was intentful, the plan was detailed, the plan was well constructed.”

Airship crashes into residential building in Brazil

On September 26, 2024, an airship hired by a football club deflated while flying over a Sao Paulo suburb. The Brazilian-made ADB 3-3 airship is produced by Airship do Brasil (ADB). It measures 49 meters long and 17 meters tall and is capable of speeds up to 85 km/h (53 mph). It can carry five passengers and two crew.

Video: Blimp Crash Shocks Brazil: Airship Plummets into Homes, One Injured!

Rolls-Royce Shuts Down Electrical Propulsion Business

In November 2023, Rolls-Royce announced a restructuring plan that included selling off non-core assets and refocusing on its turbofan business. One victim of the plan was Rolls-Royce Electrical. In December, Rolls admitted they had a potential buyer, and now the company says they have “now moved that process to the next step,” with no additional details.

New York City Mayor Faces Wrath—of Frequent Fliers

Subtitle: “Airline points enthusiasts sift through indictment, say Eric Adams made litany of rookie travel mistakes; ‘It’s mind-blowing.’” Jason Rabinowitz commented, “If you’re going to get indicted in large part because you were taking illicit upgrades to business class, at least do it with an airline that has a better product.”

Boeing Starliner

Listeners and the hosts comment on the Boeing Starliner. Hillel Glazer provides an opinion piece about NASA’s role in Starliner failures.

Star-Crossed Starliner Flight Test Comes To A Close

Chatter: The Inside Story of the Challenger Disaster with Adam Higginbotham.

Houston We Have a Podcast, Episode 355, Call Sign: White Flight.

Mentioned

Wilson, T. A. (1921-1999) the CEO of Boeing from 1969-1986.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, and David Vanderhoof.