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

Arinc Direct (Booth No. 2155) has released a new version of its iPad app, which has proved popular with flight departments worldwide. The latest version, 3.0, provides “a host of document-management functions that simplify flight-planning needs by putting important information at a pilot’s fingertips,” said the Annapolis, Md.-based company (which is in the process of being sold by The Carlyle Group to Rockwell Collins).


“Arinc is working to minimize paper and improve access to information on the flight deck, and version 3.0 is a major step forward in getting our customers there,” said Arinc Direct vice president Bob Richard. The new software release, already available from the Apple App Store, has a new website component that allows pilots to schedule document uploads and another component that provides access to all their files. Thissystem allows documents to be assigned to specific legs, aircraft or users, and folders can be created for these documents for simple drag-and-drop functionality.


At a briefing in London in September on Arinc’s wider activities in air transport, Andy Hubbard, managing director Arinc EMEA, said the company couldn’t discuss the <a href="http://ainonline.com/aviation-news/labace-convention-news/2013-08-14/rockwell-collins-agrees-buy-arinc-14-billion">Rockwell Collins acquisition</a> because of the due diligence process. He added that there is a significant opportunity on the flight-planning side for Arinc Direct, by tying in with the Rockwell Collins Ascend flight operations and trip-support products.


Arinc Direct, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, has grown to 3,000 subscribers and is ramping up its support staff, including those with satcom backgrounds. James Hardie, director of Arinc Direct for EMEA, said, “We have at least one large customer in Europe using iPads to try to get paperless approval.”


Hardie added that Arinc is now integrating other capabilities of Polaris Aero through its partnership with Polaris. Arinc started by incorporating Polaris’s FlightRisk product into Arinc Direct and is now including its Vector SMS product, which “enables customers to begin the process of complying with [safety management systems].”


Asked about the Xplore device that Arinc is developing to help link iPads to Iridium satcom via a portable box carried onboard, Hardie said that a launch at NBAA was “our aiming point” but that the launch customer has decided that a Supplemental Type Certificate was required. “We are currently going through an STC process,” he said. “We’re not sure what aircraft type it will be on yet. We’re still aiming for it to be a portable device.” The concept was demonstrated virtually at Oshkosh in the summer using a prototype box on Arinc’s test bench back at its development lab. “There has been a lot of interest,” Hardie said. “We have also had a lot of enquiries from military and helicopter operators.”

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