Ian Sheppard has acted as Editor International Show Editions for AIN since June 2013. Based in the Redhill, England, Ian reports for the various AIN publications as well as providing support to International Editor Charles Alcock in covering international air shows (such as Farnborough, Paris, Singapore and Dubai), and the EBACE and MEBA business aviation events. His central role is to cover Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Prior to becoming more involved with AIN in mid-2011 (initially as deputy international editor), Ian worked for various aviation publications through his company, First Aerospace Media. This included being part of the AIN team covering daily news at international air shows.
Ian has worked for publications such as Flight International (technical reporter, 1997-8) and Aerospace International (editor, 1999-2000). He was publications manager at Airclaims (Ascend) between 2000 and 2004 before forming First Aerospace Media. Since mid-2009 Ian has also been managing editor of Regional International, the journal of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA).
Ian hasis working towards a European commercial pilot licence, having held an FAA private pilot license in 1991, and instructor rating. He also has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Bath, England, and a graduate diploma in law from Kingston University, and is a graduate of the legal practice course (College of Law, Guildford).

Editor

Ian Sheppard

The pilots who recently flew a Bell 407 around the world via the North and South Poles were at the show yesterday to retell how they accomplished the feat. Jennifer Murray, an artist whose pilot husband got her interested in flying at age 55, and Colin Bodill, a career helicopter pilot (currently freelance), arrived back in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 23, after 171 days traveling 32,206 miles over 26 countries, with 101 fuel stops along the way. 
The pair were full of praise for Bell and their trusty machine, which “performed faultlessly… starting the first time despite being full of snow for six hours.” The aircraft was also ideal for the two-mile altitude at the South Pole, with its powerful tail rotor allowing takeoffs in 60-knot winds, and for traversing Drake’s Passage to Antarctica. 
Approaching the North Pole, the Russian base they were due to land at was “whited-out” before it could be reached and was soon after abandoned as the ice cracked and a snowplow even disappeared into the water below. But the 407 team remained undeterred, even though when they did land in another location they only did so for 15 minutes, such was the risk.
After the North Pole, an original plan to exit into Russia fell through. “We went to Moscow twice, but they’re tightening up on private flights and said it would take another year, so we decided to come out through Norway,” Murray said. 
Murray and Bodill are no strangers to setting world records. Murray has already set the world record for the fastest female solo helicopter flight around the world in 2000 and Bodill holds the record for flying around the world in a weight-shift microlight.
More details about their flight can be found on their Web site <a href="http://www.polarfirst.com" target="_blank">www.polarfirst.com</a>.

Pilots tell of global adventures 

The pilots who recently flew a Bell 407 around the world via the North and South Poles were at the show yesterday to retell how they accomplished the feat.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Paris Air Show 2007

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN