Ben Darnell

Background

About Ben Darnell

I am a graduate of Kettering University in Flint Michigan, with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering where I specialized in aeronautics and mechatronics. I completed my undergraduate thesis on electric VTOL aircraft design, in which I tested various aspects of VTOL efficiency in the university's wind tunnel. While at Kettering I was also a founder of the student maker space, taught introductory classes on machine use and safety, and helped run the entrepreneur society. As a freshman, I used the maker space to laser cut and 3D print my first drone frames. Now I have over 8 years of experience in UAS design, manufacturing, testing and piloting, and I am still developing VTOL aircraft using the findings from my thesis project. I am currently the Product Manager for a small drone startup in Denver, as well as a Part-107 licensed drone pilot. My professional pilot experience includes high school and collegiate sporting events, real estate, promotional/marketing material, and residential solar inspection where we use ground mapping and photogrammetry. My non-professional experience also includes MultiGP drone racing, indoor flying with micro drones, and long range FPV flights. My passion has led me to work with drones and software such as DJI, simulators, and open source flight control and electronics programs. I am also fully versed in microsoft office/google suite, Adobe photo and video editing, CAD/CAM design, and can quickly learn any new program I need to. In addition to my professional drone experience, I have had a wide variety of experience in other fields such as electric motorcycles/mobility, material handling systems, precision test machines, and infrared thermal imaging. I also have 7 years of experience in FIRST Robotics, where I volunteered with a team helping disabled and disadvantaged high school students discover and learn engineering, manufacturing, electronics, programming, business, and soft skills. I am always striving to improve myself, learn new things, and grow my experience. Recently I have gained experience in ultralight general aviation having become a Paramotor Pilot. My knowledge of airspace for drone operations, and my skill at flying RC aircraft both made the transition to a new type of flying easy. After gaining a few years of experience, I have learned many things about risk assessment, operating under pressure, improvising in stressful situations, and remaining calm during unforeseen circumstances.