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
Photograph: AlliedSignal's SilverCrown Plus New products popped up at the Aircraft Electronics Association annual meeting in April in Orlando like golden poppies in California after El Nino. Here are some highlights. -- AlliedSignal Electronics/ Avionics Systems announced that its seven-pound, $29,000, low-earth-orbit, Iridium satcom system will be certificated by December. Notably, the Iridium airborne equipment will weigh one-third to one-half of the current $400,000-class of Aero-H satcom systems.

Fred George
Photograph: IAI Galaxy The business aircraft industry soared through its fourth consecutive year of growth in 1997. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported that industry sales of U.S.-manufactured airplanes alone reached $4.7 billion, a whopping 51-percent increase compared to 1996. Just as impressively, shipments of U.S.-made general aviation airplanes reached 1,569 units, which is the highest number of deliveries since 1985.

Fred George
FAA Field Approval of IFR GPS installations went into a holding pattern in some regions shortly after Flight Standard Information Bulletin for Airworthiness (FSAW) 98-03 was issued early this year. The intent of the bulletin is to ensure that all mechanical or electrical equipment that is installed during a major alteration is properly maintained during its service life.