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
There are still no viable bidders for Eclipse Aviation nearly 90 days after its creditors petitioned the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on Feb. 24 to liquidate the Albuquerque very light jet startup’s assets in accordance with Chapter 7 of the federal bankruptcy laws.

Fred George
Boeing Business Jets is tapping Steve Taylor, BBJ chief pilot, to succeed Steven Hill as president. The organization is expected to formally announce the new president today (May 11) during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exposition in Geneva, Switzerland.

Kerry Lynch, Fred George
Honda Aircraft Company is pushing back the delivery of its $3.9 million HondaJet by a year, citing delays in the supply chain, the company announced last week. Honda Aircraft now plans to fly the aircraft in January 2010 and receive certification and begin delivery by late 2011. First customer delivery was originally anticipated in late 2010.