It’s D.B. Cooper Day. On this day in 1971, a mysterious figure who would be misidentified by that name parachuted from a Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 727 with $200,000 of stolen cash and landed in pop culture legend as the very embodiment of “Sticking it to the Man.” While there are a lot of wild theories, and over 900 people have confessed to being D.B., nobody knows for sure who he was or what happened after he bailed out. Me, I prefer to believe he made good his daring escape and is perhaps even now laid out on a tropical beach laying back boat drinks and laughing to himself. So, did this mysterious skyjacker like a drink? He did. Specifically, he ordered a bourbon and 7-Up before and after passing the note that stated he had a bomb in his briefcase and wanted 200 grand in cash. True story: One of the reasons the legend of D.B. Cooper has endured is because he was so polite and self-possessed. According to stewardess Tina Mucklow: “He wasn’t nervous. He seemed rather nice. He was never cruel or nasty. He was thoughtful and calm all the time.” And don’t think he tried to skyjack those bourbons. He paid for both of them and heavily over-tipped the stewardess even as the skyjacking was underway. Now that’s class.
