Interview Story, a Q&A with – Dheeraj Bhasin: RAF Fighter Pilot

"My first memory of wanting to join the Royal Air Force was when I was about four standing outside the hospital where my dad was at, seeing a contrail in the sky. I asked my big sister what is that, and she said it was an aeroplane, and that was it, from that age I was going to somehow be involved with flight." Dheeraj Bhasin, a qualified RAF pilot, racking up over 10,000 hours flight time in over 15 variants of aircraft, but one of his biggest claims to fame, as a British Indian he was the first none white fighter pilot in an Air force that for many years was shaped around the white, affluent public school boy image.

What ethnic origin do you class yourself as?

Well, I class myself as a Yorkshire man, born in Rotherham, but both my parents are from India, and are now British citizens. I suppose my official ethnicity is British-Indian. I do very much have a good deal of my Indian heritage in me, but it’s a tough question when you ask me whether I support England or India when they’re playing cricket.

You were the first Asian fighter pilot, how was that?

From my knowledge I was the only Indian fast jet pilot for the duration of my career, how was it? It was fun. It was really no different from being any other brand of pilot in the RAF I was respected for my proficiency in the role and we had a good amount of banter, making fun of whatever we could, across the board. Be it a chaps big nose, whether he was short or tall or had this colour hair or wore those kind of clothes, the differences amongst us were something to be celebrated. The bottom line was, it came down to your professionalism and your proficiency.

You were used, consequently, as part of a public relations campaign because of your ethnicity?

Yeah, several PR campaigns actually, from the recruitment side I appeared in quite a few publications, when people were making documentary programmes whether on the TV or Radio I was often used when it was a case of needing a fighter pilot. Some which were specific to my ethnicity and some that weren’t. In actual fact I ended up being a volunteer with the RAF’s ethnic minority recruitment teams and motivational outreach programme. Lecturing in schools and different areas of say, ethnic strongholds, to be a living example of the military as an equal opportunities employer, tackling the different ideological tensions between being from one background and fighting for another.

In your younger years in the RAF did you encounter any racism against yourself?

No not really, it was amusing sometimes what people would do in the initial stages they would assume that I was a foreign and commonwealth student. The RAF training a lot of people from other common wealth nations, we had Omani, and Tobagans. When it came to the flight photograph, they’d ask for the foreign nationals at the end, assuming I couldn’t speak English talking louder so id understand. I only remember one example that got even close to racism, was just a chap taking the banter further than he needed to. I was on exercise in Alaska flying the Jaguar’s and before I even acknowledged what had been said, my colleagues had sorted the situation having some stiff words with him.

Did you ever encounter any problems that were clearly because of your race?

Again, not really. The only factor that became a problem for me was security clearance. My parents at the time were common wealth citizens not British, and it became easier for them to become fully British citizens to facilitate my security clearance issues. No body ever said you couldn’t do this job or that job, because you’re a different colour, it was always completely equal.

Were you accepted by your colleagues, did they ever treat you differently?

My colleagues just saw me as another one of those blokes, there was never any difference, interestingly enough, there were individuals who were more politically motivated that would be overly nice or overly surprised when I did well, or made a big deal of the fact I was fitting in so well. But for us as peers, it made no difference at all.

A ‘Diversity in the RAF’ exhibition opened at the RAF museum at Cosford, was described by its curator as: ‘It explains a side of our story that isn’t recognised – that the RAF is not just a white public school boy occupation.’ Do you think that this is still the general opinion of the RAF by the public?

That’s a very good question; a lot of the issues I have dealt with when I have met the public surround that exact subject. When I was applying for the air force everyone discouraged because they thought it was racist and quoted, you’re going to have to be ten times better than the average white guys to achieve the same thing, which was absolutely not true. But the perception of the public was that, about 25 years ago. Over times, it has changed, which is a functional result of the RAF’s focus as selling themselves as equal opportunities employers. Now this isn’t a big deal for them being that it’s the law, but they did go out there and push the campaign to try and change the opinions that they were institutionally racist. I think they did a good job, I still think public opinion is lagging that the reality within the air force is changed which is partly due to a negativity produced by the media with isolated cases. But the important thing is, is that the military automatically prosecutes to the maximum extent of the law where any sort of discrimination is proven.

Did you enjoy your time in the RAF?

I absolutely loved it; the military in general I think is extremes of good times and extremes of bad times. I think I have experienced things you don’t get in normal life, done things that money can’t buy, and made friends for life that are exactly that within less than three minutes. You trust them to watch your back, even if you think is doesn’t need watching. The professional skills are just a bonus to get you where you are. Its nice working in an environment where you know people are going to do the right thing.

To aspiring young men and women from other ethnic backgrounds, that want to serve, what would you say to them?

Id say do it, Id say apply. There are no barrier what so ever to being in the British Armed forces just because you are from another ethnic background, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, its set me up in life, really really well, given n me a reason to respect myself, and I’ve had a great time. There is no issue with, race, sexual orientation, religion or anything like that. Its is truly, in fact, the closest thing I’ve ever seen in all the career paths and job descriptions that I’ve looked, this is the place that actually does equal opportunities. A lot of places just talk about, but the military actually does it.