The Most Famous HIJACKING of All Time!! And...Air-stairs??🤔

Have you ever wondered over where the back air-stairs on aircraft have gone? Those stairs that looked like they went straight into the tail of the aircraft.
Did you know that those stairs are connected to the reason we have baggage checks on aircraft today as well as to stories about the CIA and one of the most famous crimes in aviation history?
In todays episode I will give you some background to the awesome history of Air-stairs and much, much more.
As always I would love to hear what your questions are and if you want to add anything to the video.

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:24 YOUR skillshare deal
01:40 Episode Overview
02:36 History of the air-stair
05:10 Boeing 727 Stairs
07:00 CIA
08:37 D.B Cooper
19:28 The Cooper Vane
22:00 End of the Aft Stairs
24:00 Operation of B737 Stairs

Below you will find the links to videos and sources used in this episode. Enjoy checking them out!

Super MD 80 emergency door
Convair CV-240: @SAS Scandinavian Airlines
 
Old Airstairs Image: Hale Rowland
 
BIA Airplane: @Eduard Marmet
 
727 Footage: @Topfelya
 
727 Render: Mike James
 
727 Engines Photo @Smithsonian Institution
 
727 Render Inner Cabin: Mike James
 
 
DB Cooper Flight 727 Photo: @Bettmann/CORBIS
 
Money Image: @cheezian
 
727 Aft Stairs Open Render: @Mike James
 
DB Cooper suspects Image
 
F-106 Image: @United States Air Force
 
1973 Bagage Check image: @Clem Albers / The Chronicle
 
DC-9 Photo: @Aircraft Pics
 
MD-80 Photo: @Adrian Pingstone
 
Tail cone demo video: @Markhk
 
MD-88 tailcone Air Stairs video: @Harold Betancourt
 
Galley Image: @Safran Cabin

[Aviation]

Fun fact: The aircraft that Cooper jumped from was converted to a freighter which entered service with UPS back in the very late '80s. As a longtime UPS ramp employee, I worked that plane many times, even having the opportunity to walk up the air stairs Cooper jumped from to enter the cabin of the aircraft.

[EdMcF]

Fun Fact: RyanAir have never been hijacked because it costs too much to take weapons into the cabin.

[fluxerflixer]

I spent years maintaining the 727. The worst part about using the air stairs was that the JT-8 engines used on 727’s collected a lot of oil in the engine cowling from the gearbox breather and being serviced etc. They were famous for leaking small amounts of oil onto the ground. When you boarded from the air stairs you were directly under the #2 engine. So needless to say a customer would get a lube job every once in a while. LOL!

[jlfitz]

The “World Freefall Convention”, a yearly skydiving event, used to charter a 727 to jump out of. Jumpers were awarded “D.B. Cooper numbers” to go along with their other certifications. A unique jump in that one *slowed down* to terminal velocity.

[lucast]

I never realized why he asked for 4 parachutes. That makes a lot of sense. Smart guy....

[richardlarson]

As a 17 year old boy in Portland in 1971 this was about the most exciting event that had ever happened, especially since we lived about 5 miles from the airport and I would regularly ride my bicycle down around the Portland airport and the Portland Air Base.

[porthose]

I've watched a number of documentaries on D.B. Cooper, but your background as a pilot adds a great perspective. Thanks for sharing this!

[BasIcarus]

As an ex BA BAC 1-11 pilot for fourteen years I agree that the demise of the airstairs is a shame. Without them I couldn't have stopped halfway down the Bravo cul-de-sac at LHR to pick up a first officer friend who nearly missed the last flight home to Jersey. The noise with the back door open and both RR Speys going was horrific and certainly impressed the passengers! Keep up the good work.

[rogerstone]

Just when you think that everything's been done, described and explained - here comes a whole new one.

[dragonmaid]

That was fascinating and l like the crime element too. That was fun.

[d.b.cooper]

I might have a little first-hand information on why you don’t see aft air stairs anymore... 😉

[ColtonRDean]

Christmas Eve 1998 I was flying ABQ to MSP, but there was a huge snowstorm and we were diverted to FSD. However since we were a diversion, and FSD was so small, there was no available gate to disembark from.

We sat on the tarmac for three hours waiting for the weather in MSP to clear, but people started getting restless. Finally they found a spot to park the plane and we all disembarked through the aft air stairs of the 727, and we walked single file into the terminal under the wing. Truly was a unique moment to be able to see our airplane from that perspective.

After another two hours the weather cleared, they found a jetway, and we resumed our flight to MSP. I feel fortunate to have been able to use the aft air stairs in a non-emergency situation.

[nathansmith]

DB Cooper told me that those stairs was his favorite feature

[ratboygenius]

Great story and presentation. Who knew the story of the ventral air stairs was so captivating! 2 thumbs up!

[me]

He's still effectively a sort of patron saint for skydivers

[redzebrave]

1979, Nice, France. I nearly lost my flight, went to counter late, they took me on a jeep and rushed me to the take off waiting zone where the Caravelle was waiting takeoff clearance! I boarded the plane through the rear stairs!! Quite an adventure. 😮

[chriswalton]

A big reason the Convair 240 and Martin 2-0-2 had airstairs is that these aircraft were designed specifically to replace the Douglas DC-3 on secondary routes, and small secondary airports in the 1940s didn’t have stairs because the tail of a parked DC-3 is already on the ground.

[mdhazeldine]

Petter, I think you have now become my favourite story teller. One of the things I love about aviation is there's so many interesting stories and tales over the years. Fascinating stuff.

[lynseyluvsatwink]

It's funny, D.B. Cooper was always just "Uncle Dan" to me.

[WayneM]

When the time comes to hang your cap up for the last time Captain Petter, you really must try to get into some king of broadcasting media. I was hung on your every word, in fact, it was one of the very best "insights" I have ever heard, and a fascinating story. Your efforts are very much appreciated I'm sure by a lot of people who have an interest like me, in anything avionic.