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 Phoenix
Honeywell's RDR-4B wind-shear detection radar, recently certified with a smaller 24-inch antenna, will shrink again in size during the next two to three years, thus making it suitable for installation in business aircraft. This is the first time, since Rockwell Collins introduced the TWR-850 radar, that a solid-state radar has been designed specifically for business aircraft applications.

Edited By Paul RichfieldFred George, in Phoenix
In as little as two years, a blend of Honeywell Primus Epic large-format, flat-panel displays and a new generation of Bendix/King panel-mount radios could make their debut in light business and general aviation aircraft. Honeywell officials were vague regarding a launch customer, but senior executives hinted that ``Project Echo'' could debut on Cessna's proposed new-generation aircraft, intended to bridge the gap between its light single-engine and Citation product lines.

Edited by Paul RichfieldBy Fred George, in Phoenix
Photograph: Honeywell's AS900 flight-test team Backslapping and handshaking were prevalent at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on January 28, as Honeywell's Boeing 720 flying test bed touched down after the successful first flight of the firm's new AS900 turbofan engine. Pre-launch delays caused by a brand-new digital test suite aboard the Boeing cut the ambitious four-plus hour test card by one half, however, since FAA rules require the test flight to be completed by sunset (1756 local time).