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Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/Assessment/1974 White House helicopter incident

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The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Article promoted by Gog the Mild (talk) via MilHistBot (talk) 22:20, 14 February 2020 (UTC) « Return to A-Class review list[reply]

1974 White House helicopter incident

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Nominator(s): L293D (talk)

1974 White House helicopter incident (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)

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A strange incident in which a helicopter mechanic, Robert Preston, stole a helicopter and flew around Washington D.C., then back to Maryland, being pursued by police in helis and cars. He turned back towards D.C. and actually landed on the south lawn of the White House while under fire from the secret service. I got interested in this when reading about it in a monthly Air & Space magazine, then forgot about it for a while, until I saw it again on WP's Main Page in the OTD section. After a complete rewrite from Start-class and a good article review, I think it is ready for A-class, and possibly FA. All comments are welcome. L293D (☎ • ✎) 02:34, 9 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Source review—pass

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  • Daily Collegian — this is a student newspaper, what makes it an RS?
  • Other sources look good. Formatting OK. Source checks not done due to nominator's history. buidhe 01:31, 29 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]
  • I'm satisfied that the article is sufficiently complete to merit A-class, but the following sources (which I have access to and can send you if you like) have additional information:
    • "Soldier Lands a Stolen Copier on White House Lawn". The New York Times. Richard L. Madden Special to The New York Times. 18 February 1974. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
    • "Soldier Gets Year Term For Helicopter Incident". The New York Times. 30 August 1974.

CommentsSupport by CPA-5

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  • were alerted, and Preston flew southwest towards Washington, D.C Unlink D.C.
    • I disagree, its linked only twice: in the lead and then lower in the article. Can you clarify why you think it should be unlinked?
  • Right, but we have to keep in mind that readers in India or Australia might not know what D.C. is like most of us do. I've kept the first link in the lead and removed the second.
  • one year in prison, and was fined US$2,400 (equivalent to $12,442 in 2019) Link US$
    • Done.
  • become a helicopter pilot, flying a Hughes TH-55 Osage at Fort Wolters, Texas Link Texas.
    • Done.
  • He then decided to visit Washington, D.C., 20 miles (32 km) southwest Same as above.
    • Same as above
  • with a head-on pass just a few inches above What's a few? An inch is 2.54 cm which means a few inches would be 5–7.6 cm?
    • Source says "just inches over its roof". It's between 1 and 11 inches. I doubt anyone made a more exact measurement.
  • changing speeds between 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) and 120 knots (220 km/h; 140 mph) Link the first knots.
    • Done.
  • a misdemeanor with a fine of $100 (equivalent to $518.42 in 2019) Link dollars again.
    • Done.
  • Preston's helicopter was first discovered by District of Columbia police --> "Preston's helicopter was first discovered by the District of Columbia police"
    • Done

That's anything from me. Interesting story I'd say. Cheers. CPA-5 (talk) 10:40, 10 January 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Comments Support from Harrias

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  • If you're linking Washington, D. C., then link Maryland in the lead too.
  • Add links for Private first class and Warrant officer in the lead.
  • "..pursued by two Bell 206 JetRangers and police cars." Would be worth stating that they were police helicopters too.
  • Write "Reserve Officers' Training Corps" out in full.
  • "He washed out of.." This isn't encyclopaedic language.
  • "On February 17, 1974, shortly after midnight, Robert K. Preston.." No need to write his name out again, just use "Preston".
  • "He returned to Tipton Field south of Fort Meade, where thirty Bell UH-1 "Huey" helicopters were fueled and ready." The article is unclear about the airfield and the helicopters. I assume they were owned by the Army, but this isn't made clear. Mentioning that the airfield was "south of Fort Meade" leaves it open that it could be a private airfield. Can you clarify this in the article?
  • "..then flew over the capitol.." Shouldn't it be "the Capitol", capitalised?
  • "..an old Bell 47 of the Maryland Police followed.." Clarify in the article that this is a helicopter.
  • "A Bell 206 JetRanger, operated by the LAPD" Make it clear in the image caption that this is of the same type used by the police in this incident. Otherwise, on a casual read, a reader might wonder why an LAPD helicopter was being used in Washington.
  • Be consistent about whether to use "Huey" or just Huey.

Nothing major here, a nice tight article. Harrias talk 12:56, 4 February 2020 (UTC)[reply]

CommentsSupport by PM

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Interesting incident. I have a few comments:

Lead
  • first sentence, "United States Army Private..." and link US Army
  • comma after Maryland
  • link South Lawn (White House)
  • link White House at first mention and rm link from the second mention
  • Warrant officer→warrant officer and suggest adding "pilot"
  • "and he later said that"
  • "Shortly after midnight, Preston was returning to Tipton Airport" returning from where and by what means of transport?
    • It is stated in the body that he used a car.
  • the first sentence says he stole the helo from Fort Meade, but then it says he stole it from Tipton Airport south of Fort Meade? Was Tipton part of Fort Meade or outside of it?
    • Air&Space says "At Fort Meade’s Tipton Field, thirty Hueys". I think they're separate.
  • update the USD amount to 2020
    • I can't change that, it's in a template.
  • mention that he was court-martialled rather than tried in civilian court
  • mention that he was discharged from the Army after his sentence was completed
Body
  • "PrestonHe enrolled"
  • link U.S. Army
  • warrant officer pilot
  • "This was a result of the ongoing withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam" doesn't follow. If he failed flight training, he wasn't going to become a pilot and the Vietnam drawdown had no impact on his not becoming a pilot
    • From what I understand of the Air & Space article, the US Army was oversupplied with qualified helicopter pilots, and he might have passed if they needed more pilots.
  • suggest "four-year contract with the U.S. Army"→"four-year obligation to serve in the U.S. Army"
  • clarify if Tipton Field is part of Fort Meade (see earlier comment)
    • Seems pretty clear as is.
  • where were the dance hall and restaurant located?
    • Source doesn't say.
  • was he stationed at Tipton Field?
    • Source says he was reassigned to Fort Meade
  • had be flown the type before?
    • NYT or A&S don't say.
  • "He parked his car inat the unguarded airfield"
  • link Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
  • "but the boundarythis was not enforced"
  • "While Preston was hovering above and briefly touched down"
  • link United States Secret Service
  • whose JetRangers were they? DC or Maryland?
    • Maryland
  • suggest changing the caption to "An LAPD Bell 206 JetRanger similar to the ones used in the chase"
  • "He caused one police car" or was it a civilian one?
  • suggest "barely clearing the steel fence..."
  • Nixon is duplinked
  • "The helicopter became a major tourist sight the nextthat day" as it is still the 17th
  • is the helo still on display at the NAS?
    • Don't know
  • update fine amounts to 2020
    • It's in a template, can't change
  • link court-martial
  • suggest "charged with several counts of attempted murder and several minor offences"
  • suggest "With time already served, this resulted in a further six months in prison"
  • President Nixon congratulated Secret Service officer Kulbaski"
  • was anything done about leaving helos fuelled and ready to fly but unguarded?
    • Sources don't say.
  • Suggest introducing the aircraft as "UH-1 Bell Iroquois (commonly known as a "Huey")", and use "Huey" thereafter as it is a nickname.

That's me done. Nice job so far. Peacemaker67 (click to talk to me) 03:05, 10 February 2020 (UTC)[reply]

G'day Nikkimaria could you please have a look at the image licensing on this one? Peacemaker67 (click to talk to me) 00:41, 14 February 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Comments Support by Zawed

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I reviewed this for GA and reviewing changes since then and am generally happy that this would be suitable for promotion once the the outstanding comments above have been dealt with. I do have a couple of comments to add:

  • I know there has already been a discussion above about this, but I feel Washington DC should be linked on its first mention in the body. It seems odd to me for it to be linked in the lead but not the body. I appreciate this may be a contrary opinion to those already expressed so my support won't hinge on this
    • Done.
  • link Pennsylvania Avenue
    • Done.
  • Typo in the caption of th eimage of Bellranger (used it the chase).
    • Done.

That's it for me. Zawed (talk) 06:58, 12 February 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Image review

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  • Suggest scaling up the map
    • Changed to 300px
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
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