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.
Jan. 24, 2006, was a spectacularly clear winter day in Southern California. John "Jack" Francis and Andy Garratt were crewing a Citation V that departed Hailey Airport in Sun Valley, Idaho, bound for McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, Calif. Aboard were Frank Jellinek Jr., recently retired chairman of Fisher Scientific and father of two children, along with Janet Shafran, mother of four. It was going to be just a brief stay in the San Diego area. Jellinek's father, Frank Sr., lived in the vicinity. Everyone planned to return to Sun Valley that afternoon.
Ciao, paisano. If the new Avanti II had rearview mirrors, its pilots could watch every other turboprop business aircraft disappear in its wake. That's nothing new for the Genoa jet-prop. The first-generation Avanti, dating back to 1990, also could speed by all prop-driven competitors. The Avanti II, equipped with more powerful engines, just widens the lead by at least 10 to 15 knots. Pilots can expect maximum cruise speeds of 400 KTAS at FL 310 at mid-weights assuming standard-day conditions, according to Piaggio Aero's latest cruise performance numbers.
In the late 1970s, Cessna realized it needed an entry-level turboprop to compete with the Beech King Air C90. Too many Cessna 421 owners, who wanted to step up to turbine reliability, were deserting the brand for the Beech twin-turboprop. Cessna's own 290-plus KTAS Model 441 Conquest was too big a jump up in price, performance and pilot proficiency.
