Fred George

Chief Aircraft Evaluation Editor

San Diego, CA

Summary

Fred is a senior editor and chief pilot with Business & Commercial Aviation and Aviation Week's chief aircraft evaluation pilot. He has flown left seat in virtually every turbine-powered business jet produced in the past three decades.

He has flown more than 195 makes, models and variants, ranging from the Piper J-3 Cub through the latest Boeing and Airbus large twins, logging more than 7,000 hours of flight time. He has earned an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and six jet aircraft type ratings, and he remains an active pilot. Fred also specializes in avionics, aircraft systems and pilot technique reports.

Fred was the first aviation journalist to fly the Boeing 787, Airbus A350 and Gulfstream G650, among other new turbofan aircraft. He’s also flown the Airbus A400M, Howard 500, Airship 600, Dassault Rafale, Grumman HU-16 Albatross and Lockheed Constellation.

Prior to joining Aviation Week, he was an FAA designated pilot examiner [CE-500], instrument flight instructor and jet charter pilot and former U.S. Naval Aviator who made three cruises to the western Pacific while flying the McDonnell-Douglas F-4J Phantom II.

Fred has won numerous aviation journalism awards, including NBAA’s David W. Ewald Platinum Wing Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Articles

Fred George
Purdue University is expanding biofuel research to very light jets, teaming with Embraer and Honeywell on a project involving a Jet A/camelina-based blend.

Fred George
Lycoming Engines plans to sustain, support and improve gasoline-fueled aircraft piston engines for the immediate future, says Michael Kraft, senior vice president and GM of the company. It is cost-prohibitive for Lycoming to develop clean-sheet aircraft piston engines, so the company is testing its existing line-up to determine which models will run on the unleaded aviation and automotive fuels such as UL91 Avgas and 91 and 93 octane automotive gasoline.
Business Aviation

Kerry Lynch, Fred George
The Experimental Aircraft Association’s search for a new president appears to have halted. Jack Pelton, who last fall agreed to take the position of chairman after former President Rod Hightower stepped down, says the association currently is not searching for a successor to Hightower, and suggested that he may not be replaced. He noted that the board is looking at the possibility of a different leadership structure, led by board chairmen. Pelton, who has steered the association since Hightower’s departure, is serving a three-year term.
Business Aviation