The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has declared that it is expanding tests of an automated system that will ultimately provide near real-time processing of airspace authorization requests for unmanned aircraft (UAS) operators nationwide. Moreover, the drone approval to operate in commercial airspace is about to become easier and safer. The agency deployed the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) to evaluate the feasibility of a fully automated solution enabled by data sharing. Drone operators using LAANC can operate their UAV's in the controlled airspace near airports. Air traffic controllers will also be able to see where planned drone operations will take place. Additionally, LAANC will also make use of data streams containing other airspace information such as temporary flight restrictions and airspace data.

It is a federal crime to shoot down aircraft, and this week, the FAA confirm that that includes drones. This is great news for anyone who has a drone, and for anyone who doesn't want errant bullets falling from the sky, and it's bad news for anyone eager to pump a quadcopter full of lead. From Forbes' John Goglia, who confirmed this with the FAA: According to the FAA "regardless of the situation, shooting at any aircraft -- including unmanned aircraft -- poses a significant safety hazard. An unmanned aircraft hit by gunfire could crash, causing damage to persons or property on the ground, or it could collide with other objects in the air. To reach this justification, the FAA turned to 18 U.S.C. 32, a law that in part expands "United States jurisdiction over aircraft sabotage to include destruction of any aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States."