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
It was a typical Chamber of Commerce late fall day on the beach at Puamana, just south of Lahaina, Maui, with brilliant sunshine, soft tradewinds, billowy cumulus clouds and 80°F temperatures. The only sounds to be heard were the breakers washing up against the rocks along with some mynahs singing in the acacia trees. I strolled down to the shore and settled into a beach chair to peruse A Hawaiian Reader, occasionally catching a brief glimpse of a sea turtle just beyond the shore break or glancing at the fishing boats plodding along off the coast.

Fred George
In 1959, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' leaders developed a clean-sheet, high-speed turboprop with exceptional fuel economy, excellent short, unimproved runway capabilities and rugged construction. The new MU-2 was intended for civil and military markets. A round fuselage cross section was chosen because it's the most structurally efficient for pressurization, while small NACA 64000-series airfoils promised low drag and high cruise speeds.

Fred George
According to several of its operators, the Mitsubishi MU-2B is one of the fastest, most fuel efficient, strongest and most responsive handling general aviation twin turboprops yet built. With flaps retracted, it has virtually the highest wing loading of any popular twin turboprop, providing a smooth ride in turbulence and minimal frontal area for reduced drag and efficient cruising.