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
By the early 1960s, the Twin Commander aircraft line had reached the limits of available piston-engine power, so Rockwell Standard, the aircraft manufacturer, elected to upgrade to turbine power. The 1965 Rockwell Model 680T Turbo Commander was first in a new family of turboprops based on the Twin Commander design. Powered by two 575-shp Garrett AiResearch TPE331 engines, it offered a 50-percent horsepower boost compared to a Lycoming-powered Twin Commander, plus more range, considerably greater reliability and almost triple the time between overhauls.

Fred George
The Challenger 300 made its entry into service in late 2003, accompanied by lofty promises from Bombardier. Priced at $14.25 million for early buyers, the manufacturer assured buyers that this super-midsize business aircraft would deliver unprecedented value. With popular options, most aircraft were delivered for $16 million to $18 million.

Fred George
In the mid-1960s, Piper Aircraft realized that it needed to develop a twin turboprop as a step-up airplane for its cabin-class piston-twin customers. The quickest and least expensive approach was to strap a couple of 620-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprops to the existing Pressurized Navajo airframe, increase the fuel capacity, bump up the takeoff weight by 1,200 pounds and rename it "Cheyenne."