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

Edited By Paul RichfieldFred George, in San Diego
Rockwell International plans to divide itself into two units -- Rockwell Collins and Rockwell Automation -- in a bid to increase its stock price while making both entities more attractive to potential buyers. Some see the move as a competitive response to General Electric's proposed acquisition of Honeywell International, Rockwell Collins' main rival in the aircraft avionics field. The split is likely to occur by May or June, pending regulatory approval.

Edited By Paul RichfieldFred George
``I feel enormous relief,'' Gary Burrell, co-founder and co-chairman of Garmin International, told B/CA last month shortly after an Initial Public Offering raised $147 million for the avionics firm. The December 8, 2000 IPO involved 10.5 million shares, all purchased by institutional investors at $14 per share. The company shares trade on the Nasdaq stock market (symbol: GRMN).

Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Fred George, in New Orleans
Masked by a year-long disinformation campaign, cleverly crafted around the development of the next-generation G-IV, Gulfstream officials startled industry observers by unveiling the new G-VSP. Gulfstream said the aircraft would have a maximum range of 6,750 nm with nine passengers. Additionally, it boasts more usable cabin volume than the Bombardier Global Express and has shorter takeoff distances. ``We absolutely, positively deliver nine-passenger, New York-to-Tokyo range all the time,'' said Gulfstream manufacturing chief Preston Henne.