
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, July 1, 1990                   TAG: 9007010043
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D-13   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

WILDER URGED TO USE HELICOPTER

The superintendent of the state police said he has urged Gov. Douglas Wilder to make greater use of the state helicopter because helicopters are safer, faster and require a smaller security force.

Col. W.F. Corvello of the state police disclosed Friday that he has pestered the governor's schedulers since Wilder's inauguration in mid-January over the security risks heightened by his high profile in the state, nation and world.

"There's no point waiting for threats," Corvello said. "The governor's a state asset. It doesn't behoove us to make a distinction between the governor's public and private" activities and journeys.

Recent news stories about Wilder's trips on the helicopter and state aircraft "failed to take into account this governor's special security needs," he said.

Using the easily identified black stretch limousine on long trips rarely makes sense from a security standpoint, he said.

Published reports have said that the state helicopter with Wilder on board touched down at the Albemarle County estate of John and Patricia Kluge and went on to Virginia Beach during Memorial Day weekend. Kluge, the world's richest man, and his wife are obtaining a divorce. Wilder has been divorced for many years.

The Roanoke Times & World-News reported that Patricia Kluge and Wilder spent the holiday weekend at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach, then the helicopter returned to the estate before going back to Richmond.

Corvello also confirmed that previous governors sometimes rode in the a state limousine to a location, but had dispatched the more expensive helicopter to the site to fly them about.

Steve Haner, executive director of the General Assembly's Republican Caucus, called the free helicopter use an abuse of $20,000 in taxpayers' money.

But Wilder spokesmen said his free use of the helicopter does not differ from the practices of his predecessors.

"The standards for this governor should be identical to all over governors," said Jay Shropshire, Wilder's chief of staff. "He's following the same patterns as previous governors."

by CNB