... I have no real sense of how large Portland airport was in 1971 so this is where it unravels for me personally; could you hide out there without notice in 1971? Any info here would help. I'd like the story to be as authentic as possible as far as locales of the era go....
PDX was the wide-open spaces, as I understand from Bill Rollins. Nor perimeter fencing, no perimeter road, vegetation along the Columbia to conceal a Zodiac in, etc. I suggest you contact him. He hasn't posted here in about a year, but his PM might still work.
Thank you, I might do that, and that could be useful in the story, but I was actually wondering more about the interior of the airport? I once slept overnight after a plane delay in Vancouver airport, and it was big enough by then that if I'd wanted to stay out of sight, I could have (though it would have been even more excruciatingly boring than trying to stay awake walking around off and on). Again, this is for fictional purposes, but could a person in 1971 have hung out in Portland airport overnight, ex. prior to a flight or between flights on different days, without being noticed? (I'm not suggesting Cooper did that - it seems more likely, again, that he was in Portland for a spell, because why bring a 'bomb' onto two flights?) It may be in the Carr files or Himmelsbach's book somewhere, but I'm also curious to know if they looked into places where dynamite/road flares could be bought in the Portland area.
From what I can find, Portland seems to have changed a great deal in the early 70s and before that was a much grittier city. Lots of vice and corruption, and the urban renewal, green spaces, waterfront renovation really got going around 1974, though the plans were in motion by about 1970. Interesting side stuff about how the anti-conscription White Panthers were active and how in '70 there was both a student strike and the blowing up of the copy of the Liberty Bell that was never solved. But I haven't been able to find any tourist map or guide to downtown Portland that gives a full picture of what businesses were where. I am very grateful that someone from the Portland area who knows the city and remembers its earlier incarnations has contacted me and may be able to give a clearer picture. It's daunting enough writing a story set in a city you've never visited, let alone one in the past. Surprisingly little video footage of Portland in that era outside that kid's Super-8 video.
