Fred George

Chief Aircraft Evaluation Editor

Redmond, Oregon

Summary

Fred formerly served as senior editor and chief pilot with Business & Commercial Aviation and as Aviation Week & Space Technology's chief aircraft evaluation pilot. He has flown left seat in virtually every turbine-powered business jet produced in the past three decades. He now is managing member of Fred George Aero LLC of Redmond, Oregon.

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
Eclipse Aerospace, Inc., a firm founded by Eclipse 500 owners Mason Holland and Mike Press, has filed a $40 million “stalking horse bid” for the assets of insolvent Eclipse Aviation Corporation. The proposed asset-purchase agreement offers $20 million in cash and $20 million in new notes as a starting bid in an August 2009 asset auction, according to documents filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Fred George
The Experimental Aircraft Association’s board of directors reached an impasse July 28 while attempting to confirm a successor to current President Tom Poberezny, several directors told BA. As a result, Peter Bunce, president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, withdrew from running for the post. “Without the unanimity of the EAA board, it would have been tough to take over leadership of the organization,” Bunce told BA. He declined to elaborate. The directors met in Oshkosh, Wis.

Fred George
New Piper Aircraft CEO Kevin Gould last week mapped out his long-term, two-pronged growth strategy for the company. He plans to pursue development of the Piper Jet to provide piston-engine and single-engine turboprop owners with a move-up airplane while continuing to upgrade Piper’s existing product line, he said during an interview with BA. He also wants to expand Piper’s global presence with sales and marketing, training, MRO, financing and dealer organizations. Admittedly, that is tough to do in the current economy.