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 fred_george@aviationweek.com
Four, 14.1-in., landscape configuration LCD screens dominate the Gulfstream G650's second-generation PlaneView instrument panel with several layouts that can be customized by the flight crew. The outboard displays normally are configured as PFDs and the inboards as MFDs. The glareshield-mounted flight guidance panel has improved functionality, including LED illumination and annunciator buttons, an “FLXXX” flight level indication in the altitude window above the transition altitude, a push in/pull out, 1,000 ft./100 ft.
Business Aviation

Fred George fred_george@aviationweek.com
As with all Gulfstream large-cabin aircraft since the GII, the G650 is powered by twin Rolls-Royce turbofans. The 16,900-lb.-thrust BR725 is a growth version of the 15,385-lbf BR710 that powers the G550. The new engine has a 50-in., 24-blade fan with new swept airfoils. The core has improved compressor aerodynamics, including five one-piece blisk stages in the 10-stage axial flow compressor, a low emissions combustor adapted from the BR715 and an improved thermal efficiency, two-stage high-pressure turbine.
Business Aviation

Fred George fred_george@aviationweek.com
G650's cabin is not only one of the quietest in the sky, its architecture assures that no single failure can cause loss of functionality of essential cabin systems including fresh and waste water, air-to-ground communications, lighting, cabin power and cabin systems control. The crew and passenger vacuum toilets, for instance, have both electrical and manual flush capabilities. Vacuum is supplied by both an AC-powered suction pump and cabin pressure differential above 16,000 ft.
Business Aviation