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.

Read more

Articles

Fred George
Safe Flight Instrument and Bombardier have obtained an STC for a limited authority auto-throttle system for the Challenger 604. The lack of ATS on the 604 has been a shortcoming, considering that its heavy-iron class rivals, the Gulfstream IVSP and Dassault Falcon Jet 900EX, both have auto-throttle systems. On the 604, the ATS is a stand-alone system that is not integrated with the FMS or a full performance management computer. The Safe Flight ATS is designed to be used only with the autopilot engaged.

Fred GeorgeEdited By Gordon A. Gilbert
Another revised schedule pushes the target date for certification of the Sino Swearingen SJ30-2 business jet to mid-2000, about six months later than the previously revised date.

By Fred George in Oshkosh, Wis.
The tarmac at Oshkosh was jammed with a consistently changing mix of business aircraft of all shapes and sizes. A Gulfstream V was there for two days, a Dassault Falcon Jet 900B dropped in for several hours, a Learjet 60 made a 48-hour appearance and a Sabreliner was parked there for a couple of days. A new Bell 407 settled into a spot close to the G-V, a Learjet 55 was parked nearby, as were a Cessna Citation Ultra and a Raytheon Beech-jet, along with various piston and turboprop workhorses of today's business aircraft fleet.