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
At EBACE 2008 in Geneva, Bombardier Aerospace officials announced that the Learjet 85, potentially the successor to the Learjet 60XR, will be powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307B engines and will feature Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics. Standard equipment also will include a Honeywell RE-100 APU, approved for inflight operation.

Fred George
Want to step up to turbine reliability, 250-plus-knot cruise speeds and virtually unbeatably low operating costs? Consider the Piper Meridian, a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-powered derivative of the PA-46 Malibu/Mirage pressurized, piston-powered single with a modified wing, 2.5-foot wider stabilizer, beefier gear and increased fuel capacity, plus updated systems. It climbs directly to FL 280 and cruises for 1,000 nm with full tanks.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Fred George
By the end of 2007, major turbofan business aircraft manufacturers had racked up a $58 billion-plus order backlog, according to GAMA. Overall revenue from new general aviation sales reached $21.9 billion, a 16.4-percent increase over 2006. OEMs delivered 4,272 general aviation. aircraft in 2007, 5.4-percent more units than in the previous year.