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
The Bombardier Learjet 40/40XR, the two-foot shorter version of the Learjet 45, hasn’t been the firm’s all-time best seller. Only 126 units have been built since the model first entered service in early 2004. Yet, it can fly six passengers 1,600 nm in less time than any other light jet, so most East and West Coast U.S. city pairs are less than six hours apart, including a refueling stop. Operators say they flight plan for 450-knot cruise speeds on shorter trips, dispatch reliability has been excellent and Bombardier’s support has been good.

Fred George
The Phenom 300 is fitted with two 3,360-pound-thrust, FADEC-equipped PW535E engines that provide competitive takeoff field performance and the capability to climb directly to FL 450 at MTOW. The engine is a close relative of the PW535 fitted to the Citation Encore/Encore+, so it has been well proven in line service.

Fred George
Sandpoint, Idaho-based Quest Aircraft Co. received an unrestricted Production Certificate from FAA Sept. 15, eliminating the need for an agency representative to inspect each Kodiak 100 it completes for airworthiness conformity with the FAA type certificate. Quest received FAA type certification for the Kodiak 100 in May 2007, and customer deliveries began last year. But the firm only has delivered 22 aircraft thus far.