Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Indian-origin Flight Lieutenant Arshdeep Singh Dang, 28, has become the first Sikh to graduate as a fighter pilot in Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF), marking what the RAF described as the first time a Sikh has attained wings from a fighter squadron since World War II, The Indian Express reported.
Dang graduated during a fast jet pilot ceremony at RAF Valley in North Wales on Friday, August 14. The RAF said he was the first Sikh trainee to graduate on the Texan aircraft at 4 Flying Training School under the UK Military Flying Training System, although he was not the first Sikh to graduate from Basic Flying Training.
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Born in Chandigarh in 1998, Dang moved to the UK with his family when he was six. His father, Jagdeep Singh Dang, is from Ludhiana, while his mother, Gagandeep Kaur, is from Amritsar. The family lives in Southall, England.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Dang said his paternal grandfather, Sardar Santokh Singh Dang, had dreamed of seeing his father become a pilot but died when his father was six.
“It was my paternal grandfather Sardar Santokh Singh Dang’s dream that my father should be a pilot. But my grandfather died when my father was just 6. So my father never really had those opportunities or resources to fulfil his wish. My parents encouraged me, and I started to believe that I could be a pilot. And it happened,” he said.
Dang studied mathematics and philosophy at the University of Bristol before completing officer training in February 2022 and elementary flying training in 2023. After serving in Cyprus, he was selected for the fast jet stream in 2024. He began fast jet lead-in training in March 2025 and basic fast jet training in July that year.
He was sent solo to Texas in October 2025 and passed his wings test in July 2026. He will now undergo another year of intensive training before progressing to frontline fighter aircraft.
“I am privileged to represent my community on an international stage. I am the first Sikh to achieve this since World War II, but I don’t want to be the last,” Dang told The Indian Express.
He also credited his family and Sikh upbringing for helping him through his journey. “My parents encouraged me,” he said, while describing his mother as his “pillar of strength”.
Dang said his family continues to speak Punjabi at home and regularly visits the gurdwara. He also said the Punjabi spirit of “chardi kalan”, or always remaining in high spirits, helped him during difficult flights.
His achievement follows a long history of Indian-origin aviators serving in British military aviation, including World War I Flying Ace Indra Lal Roy and Sikh pioneers Hardit Singh Malik and Squadron Leader Mohinder Singh Pujji.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
