NCDOT, UAV Program Engineer
Darshan Divakaran is UAV Program Engineer at North Carolina Department of Transport.
Darshan is a UAS technology evangelist with expertise in unmanned and manned aviation, flight operations, airborne safety, remote sensing, geospatial analysis and program management. In this role as UAS Program Engineer with NC Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation, he is the subject matter expert on unmanned aviation, UTM and UAM for the North Carolina Governor’s office, legislature, state agencies and public safety organizations. As UAS Program Engineer, he leads efforts to work with federal government, state agencies, public safety agencies, local government, industry, universities, and community colleges in North Carolina to integrate a statewide UAS program. Darshan leads the flight operations for NCDOT during natural disaster & emergency response and for FAA’s UAS Integration Pilot Program in North Carolina that focuses on medical & standard package delivery and infrastructure inspections.
Darshan currently serves on boards and committees of national organizations like AUVSI, ASTM, APSA ANSI, NFPA, ASPRS etc. that create UAS standards and promote UAS for commercial and public safety agencies. Darshan holds a Master of Geospatial Information Science and Technology degree from North Carolina State University and BS in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is also an FAA certified commercial Pilot with multi-engine rating and holds a FAA part 107 remote pilot certificate.