Adrian is Auckland bureau chief for Aviation Week, based in New Zealand. He covers commercial aviation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Adrian was previously based in Aviation Week’s Washington office for nine years, writing for a range of the group’s publications and covering many aspects of the commercial aviation industry. He has won Australasian and international awards for his aviation writing.
Prior to joining Aviation Week in 2002, Adrian covered aviation industry and policy issues for two other publishing companies in Washington. He has also worked for newspapers in Texas and New Zealand, covering a wide range of topics. Adrian graduated from Auckland University with a degree in history and English in 1992.
FAA needs to improve its screening process for controller trainees to ensure the most capable workers are assigned to the most complex facilities, according to the U.S. Transportation Department’s Inspector General. In a recent report, the IG said the agency “does not sufficiently evaluate candidates’ aptitudes because FAA does not effectively use screening test results or consider candidates’ [training] academy performance to help determine facility placement.”
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt says the agency will continue to consult closely with outside stakeholders as it works to adopt recommendations to accelerate the NextGen air traffic management modernization effort.
The earthquake that struck close to Mexicali, Mexico, on April 4 rattled airports in Southern California, causing control tower evacuations and a few surveillance equipment problems. The evacuations were at the San Diego and Ontario airport towers, although FAA says normal operations resumed 35 minutes after the quake. Elevators failed at the towers at Los Angeles and Orange County’s John Wayne airports.
