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Paul Joseph Cini

Paul Joseph Cini is a Canadian plane hijacker who was the first person to perform a skyjacking with a planned escape by use of a parachute. In November 1971 Cini boarded Air Canada Flight 812, and—posing as an international terrorist—proceeded to hijack the plane. During the next eight hours, the plane made several mid-air diversions from its original flight plan that included a stop in the United States in order to pick up ransom money. Cini, who often became agitated during the event, was kept calm by a flight attendant, Mary Dohey, who had a psychological background before working for the airline. The hijacker was overpowered by Dohey and two additional members of the flight crew when he attempted to bail from the plane over the Alberta, Canada, wilderness.

Background
While watching a news story about an unsuccessful hijacking, 27-year-old Calgary truck driver, Paul Cini, developed the idea of commandeering an airliner that featured a novel approach to escaping justice: he planned to evade capture by parachuting into the Canadian wilderness instead of landing by the plane. on a regularly scheduled flight from Vancouver to Toronto via one stop at Calgary, as his target. ==The hijacking==
The hijacking
On 12 November 1971, Cini boarded the airliner at its scheduled first stop in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He had prepared for his actions by bringing several items with him in his luggage. His equipment included: a sawed-off shotgun, two bundles of dynamite, rope, a black hood, a makeshift parachute wrapped with cord, and camping equipment for survival in the wilderness following his planned exit from the plane. who directed the aircraft, carrying 114 passengers and nine crew, to alter its course to Great Falls, Montana where Cini demanded CD$1.5 million as ransom be delivered. Unable to produce that amount of currency quickly, Air Canada gave him a package containing US$50,000, which he accepted, ==Aftermath==
Aftermath
Cini was eventually arraigned on seven charges, four of which carried a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. In April 1972, Cini was convicted of all charges and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was, however, paroled after 10 years (in 1982). In December 1975, for actions taken during the flight, Flight Attendant Dohey was awarded the Cross of Valour for bravery; Flight Purser Arpin received the Canadian Star of Courage; Captain Ehman and Assistant Purser Bonny both received the Medal of Bravery No other injuries were reported from the event—other than Cini's cracked skull—even though he had at one time accidentally discharged his shotgun during the hijacking. ==Legacy==
Legacy
This hijacking was followed just 11 days later with the skyjacking of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, an event that featured what appeared to be another hijacker's successful escape by parachuting out from the plane into the Northwestern United States wilderness. This hijacker was known only by the pseudonym D. B. Cooper. ==See also==
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