28 year old Flight Lieutenant Arshdeep Singh Dang of Indian origin has created history in Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF). Arshdeep, who has deep roots from Punjab, has become the first Sikh to graduate as a fighter pilot in Britain. According to RAF, he is the first Sikh to receive wings from a fighter squadron after the Second World War. The Fast Jet Pilot Graduation Ceremony was held at RAF Valley, North Wales on Friday, 14 August. In the same ceremony, the British Air Force informed about this achievement of Arshdeep.
According to the report of The Indian Express, Arshdeep told that his grandfather Sardar Santokh Singh Dang’s dream was that his father should become a pilot. But when his grandfather died, his father was only 6 years old. Because of this, his father did not have the necessary opportunities and resources to fulfill his father’s dream. Arshdeep told that his parents always encouraged him. For this reason he started believing that he too could become a pilot.
Who is Arshdeep Singh Dang?
- Arshdeep’s father Jagdeep Singh Dang is from Ludhiana, while his mother Gagandeep Kaur is from Amritsar. However, Arshdeep was born in Chandigarh in 1998. When he was just 6 years old, his family moved to Britain. Arshdeep told that he had studied in a school in Mohali for about two years, but he does not remember much about that time.
- He said that his family keeps coming back and forth to meet their relatives in Punjab. About two years ago also he had gone to Amritsar and Ludhiana. In Britain, his family lives in Southall, England. Arshdeep received a BSc (Hons) degree in Mathematics and Philosophy from the University of Bristol.
- After this he completed officer training in February 2022. In the year 2023, he completed elementary flying training. After serving in Cyprus, he was selected for the fast jet stream in 2024. In March 2025, he started fast jet lead-in training. After this, in July 2025, he started basic fast jet training.
- In October 2025, he was sent to Texas to fly solo. After this, he passed his wings test in July 2026. Now he will train harder for about a year. After this he will take over the responsibility of flying fighter jets on the front line.
What is Arshdeep’s wish?
Arshdeep was the only pilot of Indian origin in his batch. On his achievement, he said that he considers it an honor to represent his community at the international level. He said, “I am the first Sikh to achieve this feat after World War II, but I do not want to be the last.”
Arshdeep said that Sikhs had made a major contribution to the British Indian Army during the Second World War. Many Sikhs were also awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest gallantry award. But after that such notable achievements were rarely seen. He said that he wants his success to inspire other people. According to him, people have a chance to make history not only in Britain but all over the world.
How mother is Arshdeep’s real strength?
Arshdeep told that even though his grandfather’s dream was to see his father as a pilot, his biggest strength has been his mother. He said that his mother always kept the family grounded and taught them to be humble. Despite financial problems, his mother never made him feel inferior. According to Arshdeep, his mother kept the family together in difficult times. Even after moving from India to Britain, he maintained the Punjabi roots and Sikh values in his family.
Despite spending his childhood in Britain, Arshdeep did not leave his Punjabi roots. He told that there is a strict rule in his house that all the people in the family talk to each other only in Punjabi. Talking in any other language is not allowed in the house. He told that his family always goes to Gurudwara, does langar and keeps the core values of Sikhism in their heart.
Who was the first pilot of Indian origin in Britain?
Indian-origin Lieutenant Indra Lal Roy was a famous fighter pilot who served in the British Army during the First World War. In 1918 he scored 10 aerial victories with the RFC and RAF. He became India’s first and so far only ‘Flying Ace’. He was also the first Indian to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).