Only as last resort...I don't think he believed it would happen..it's possible it could of......

Examining the origins of the information pertaining to the pursing of the lips would indicate that an important piece of information may have been inadvertently released to the public.  It is worth consideration as it is indicative of tardive dyskinesia.  The action of the mouth in this case is described as having relaxed and firm positions that may appear when pulsating in rhythm to resemble a goldfish while oxygenating the gills.  The action, when observed, is variable between a subtle twitch when he is calm and relaxed to a rapid pulsating increasing in intensity as excitement or concentration increases in intensity.   It is a permanent involuntary action that persists into old age.  Tardive dyskinesia may be an unintended side effect of the 1st Generation anti-psychotic medications and may be indicative of prior abhorrent behaviors of the fugitive that may have attracted the attention of medical professionals in the time period prior to the hijacking.  If validated, it provides a characteristic of the fugitive that would be a valuable tool for people to spot him at a radius far beyond the effectiveness of the composite drawings and other descriptions of the physical characteristics of the hijacker.  It is an eye-catching behavior when observed even from a distance. It would be valuable holdback information as it speaks volumes about him.

The idea of Cooper having a facial tic - Where does this information come from and how reliable might it be?

Only as last resort...I don't think he believed it would happen..it's possible it could of......

Someone refresh me here. 

Cooper is sitting to the right of Tina.  She lights his cigarettes for him.

Is he smoking with his left hand, and his right hand is always in the briefcase?  I thought I read somewhere that Flo was the one that said he had his hand in the briefcase the whole time.  The whole time in this case would not have been long if it was Flo talking.  Maybe it was Tina.  But he had it in there from takeoff in Portland all the way until when? When he counts the money?  He drinks with one hand too?  It's a long time to have your hand in the briefcase.

Let's get creative here.  Why else would he keep his hand in the briefcase?  Tina is pretty harmless, he seems to like her, and she is ok with him.  It's not like she is going to overpower him.

Possibilities:

He really is afraid that he will need to set off the bomb and wants to keep his hands close
He has a gun in there and wants it close
He has a watch on, or some identifying jewelry
He has a scar or a tattoo or a mark on his hand
His hands give him away as blue collar and not the hands of a businessman

EU, Shutter, Martin, Bruce, couple of other guys, you think out of the box, what are some ideas?

By the way, in the 1970 movie Airport, a deranged man makes a briefcase bomb with dynamite and wires and carries it on a plane.  He uses a deadman switch, a little sliver of wood attached to a string.  This movie is said to have been one of the first "disaster" type movies of the new genre.

I don't see the need to hide a handicap such as that. it's something that could clearly identify him from others and easily clear others through medical records. it could possibly hurt the case more...it's usually something said or done that hasn't been released or something left behind that ties him to the case.

lets say the bomb was real...all that's required has been explained. adding a switch vs some sort of pulling device to complete the circuit doesn't make sense. nothing else was noticed in the bottom of the briefcase other than wires a battery and the dynamite. no pulleys, metal or circuitry was noticed. Cooper could of easily said all I have to do is pull on this wire. why would he hide saying that vs making contact? adding a switch or push button for his hand would make sense..

It's as simple as jumping a car. three terminals can be attached but no charging will occur until the circuit is complete or the fourth terminal is connected.

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lets say the bomb was real...all that's required has been explained. adding a switch vs some sort of pulling device to complete the circuit doesn't make sense. nothing else was noticed in the bottom of the briefcase other than wires a battery and the dynamite. no pulleys, metal or circuitry was noticed. Cooper could of easily said all I have to do is pull on this wire. why would he hide saying that vs making contact? adding a switch or push button for his hand would make sense..

It's as simple as jumping a car. three terminals can be attached but no charging will occur until the circuit is complete or the fourth terminal is connected.

I've seen nothing that indicates a deadman's switch.  However, Flyjack has come up with a lot of information on this case, so I'll wait and see if maybe he found an obscure file.

I referenced the movie Airport more because the deranged bomber and his actions reminded me of DB Cooper at times, and it came out a year before DB Cooper pulled off his hijacking.

If I'm DB Cooper, and I say "if I pull this string or push this button" a bomb goes off, versus showing someone the wires, the sticks, and the battery, I'll choose the latter.  Seeing the actual bomb and wires sends a bigger message.

And a deadman's switch is not just in that movie.  I've seen it in print in Army field manuals/technical manuals.  Booby Traps and Improvised Munitions come to mind.  What the numbers on those manuals are? I forget.  But that's one of the places I learned to make one.

good post!

I've seen nothing that indicates a deadman's switch.  However, Flyjack has come up with a lot of information on this case, so I'll wait and see if maybe he found an obscure file.

If the FBI wanted something about the detonation of the bomb kept secret they wouldn't allow the information out to the public in any form. I fail to see any "file" surfacing going against witness testimony. they would of simply stated he had a bomb. not eight sticks or battery...nothing. he just had a bomb.

I'm betting a separate file containing the evidence not released to the public is in a safe place.

I think that there is a tendency to look for connections among things that usually don't exist.

People rob banks for a reason. The reason being that they want money.

DB Cooper extorted $200K because he wanted $200K. Moreover, it's safe to assume that he wanted to get away with it...that he didn't want to get caught.

Therefore, may I suggest that sometimes a skyjacking and extortion is nothing more than a skyjacking and extortion. After all, I have yet to identify a single bank robber that ever robbed a bank for anything other than the money.

You are contradicting your own point Eric...if you wanted money just rob a bank?? Why do something like this go back to my post and coopers comments it was a person grudge.