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
NetJets is helping to launch Bombardier’s newest aircraft, the Challenger 350, with a firm order for 75 aircraft and options for 125 that have a total value of $5.4 billion. Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft, and Jordan Hansell, chairman and CEO of NetJets, on May 20 took the wraps off the $25.9 million Challenger 350, an enhanced version of the Challenger 300 that first flew on March 2. It’s due to enter service with NetJets, fitted with the fractional operator’s custom Signature Series interior, in May 2014.

Fred George
Oskar Schwenk, chairman of Pilatus Aircraft, during this week’s European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Geneva unveiled the PC-24, a clean-sheet turbofan aircraft that will offer the short, soft-field versatility of the PC-12, the cabin volume of a midsize aircraft and the cruise speed of a light jet.
Business Aviation

Fred George
NetJets is helping to launch Bombardier’s newest aircraft—the Challenger 350—with a firm order for 75 aircraft and options for 125, with a total list value of $5.4 billion. On May 20 Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft, and Jordan Hansell, chairman and CEO of NetJets, took the wraps off the $25.9 million Challenger 350, an enhanced version of the class-leading Challenger 300 that first flew on March 2. It is due to enter service with NetJets, fitted with the fractional operator’s custom Signature Series interior, in May 2014.
Business Aviation