I was just watching some news coverage of the STS-1 launch and noticed something intresting that I'd not taken note of before. They were well into the T-9 minute hold and the beanie cap was already fully retreated! There sat the stack with the ET GOXing out the nose like a Saturn. It's no wonder they lost nose tiles. In trading the transcript from the crew de-brief, both crew members mentioned stuff coming off of the ET.

I wonder why it was decided that they should retract the beanie cap that early in the count?