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, Robert Wall
Cessna’s unveiling of the Longitude last week brings the Wichita airframer back to the super mid-size market that it walked away from just a few years ago. In 2008, at the height of the business aircraft boom, the Textron division launched the ambitious Columbus with great fanfare. A year later, with business aviation sales tanking, the company aborted the $750 million development plan. Now, with hints of recovery, Cessna is returning. However, the Citation Longitude represents a far more modest and cheaper development effort, reflecting a more modest market outlook.
Business Aviation

Fred George, Robert Wall
In a bet on better times ahead, Bombardier is pressing on with its long-awaited replacement of the Learjet 40XR and 45XR with the launch of Learjet 70 and 75. Although this smaller end of the business aircraft market is still far from recovery, Learjet Vice President and General Manager Ralph Acs, notes: “The market will get better over time,” and the company is at a point where it should be “refreshing” its offering. “We want to come out of the down market with fresh, new products.”
Business Aviation

Fred George
Cessna has launched the Citation Longitude as its latest attempt to break the super mid-size market three years after canceling the Columbus program. In an effort to curtail costs, the Longitude will have virtually the same performance capabilities as the Columbus, although the fuselage cross section mirrors the manufacturer's Citation Latitude, which is six inches narrower than the Columbus. Also, the main seating area will be seven inches shorter.
Business Aviation