THE PARACHUTE

1.  The rookie pilot woke up early in the morning. It was still dark outside and his mechanical alarm clock had given the siren at 0300 hours. He had only slept in his dreams from the time he had hit the sack at 2300 hours the previous night. He had tossed and turned in his bed and was trying to clear the pre-flight checks before the most important take off in his life. He had been cleared by his Commanding Officer to fly an independent sortie on a Fighter Plane after a great labor of various military academies and their tough routines. He had finally raised his dream up his sleeve when at 2100 hours the previous day his Commanding Officer told him to be ready for an independent take off. His mathematics started clocking its time inside his brain and his excitement knew no bounds. He was finally fulfilling a long cherished dream that he had nurtured as a teenaged boy.

2.       There were no selfies as mobile cameras did not exist and nor had the digital cameras and Facebook breached temperatures did not the privacies of individuals. The low temperatures did not deter the rookie Pilot from taking a chilled water bath and he was fully conscious of the extreme challenge that beckoned him as he put on his flying dress. He was much ahead of the clock when he parked his motor cycle at the Squadron Mess and went inside to look at the glorious machine that he was supposed to fly at the break of the day light. The gleaming fighter plane was cold as it can be and the rookie pilot ran his fingers over its steel as if carving out his name. He was astonished when he reached the cockpit portion. He saw his initials gleaming on the plane’s body!! The Commanding Officer had got his name inscribed on the machine and christened it forever. The rookie’s chest filled with pride and he ran a prayer in his mind and doubled up his checks. Soon, the Squadron was bustling with activity as one after another the support staff and pilots started reporting for the morning sortie. The rookie sat erect in the morning briefing and it was a big day as the new bloke would be taking off on an independent mission with the rest of the Flyboys.

3.       The briefing was for a familiarization sortie which would test the efficiency of the Fighter Aircraft and the Squadron. All eyes were on the Rookie and the Commanding Officer that day. They not only had to prove themselves, but also the Aircraft. The twilight was just breaking out when the Pilots walked towards their machines and eased themselves into their cockpits. The rookie was in a fighter plane next to the Commanding Officer. He strapped himself up smartly as his helper secured his cockpit. At the raise of a thumb from his crew, he fired his plane’s engines. The machine came to power easily and vital parameters looked good. A nod from the Commanding Officer (CO) and the rookie rolled his fighter along with the CO‘s fighter on the runway. Soon they both were running on the tarmac in tandem and with one fine move were both airborne. The CO raised his thumb and the rookie nodded his head. It was a great moment of his life and the eyes behind Ray Bans were watching the action unfold.

4.       The fighter aircraft flew in formations and unison. They rolled and did verticals and soon they converged to pay their obeisance to the almighty Himalayas on their left. Time was now ripe for a safe landing. The CO ordered a close formation as all Pilots acknowledged the maiden independent flight of the rookie pilot and broke free for landing. The rookie had to land in the end. He saw all other pilots land safely and he came in for a approach. His CO had by then rolled in the aircraft and was still in the cockpit to monitor the rookie’s approach. He saw the rookie made the approach and this was the moment when disaster struck. A bird crossed the flight path and got sucked inside the hot engine. The fighter plane of the rookie went into an emergency mode and within no time the controls of the aircraft failed.

5.       The CO took charge of the situation and advised the rookie to parachute away from the damaged fighter plane. The rookie was wide awake and ran the ejection drill in his agile mind. His moment had come too soon and too fast. He did not contemplate and decided against ejecting with a parachute. The fighter was losing its power as the engine had shut down and his control systems were malfunctioning. He was within the visual approach of the airfield and started gliding down towards the airfield. The bewildered CO and ground team were amazed at his adventure. An emergency drill followed and the ground crew rigged up for an emergency landing. The struggling fighter aircraft landed with a damaged engine and failed controls as fire-fighters chased its landing. Engulfed in a fire fighting spray, the rookie pilot sat quietly as he throttled his plane till the last of the fuel was burnt on the ground. The cockpit was opened and he made his way to be given a warm embrace by his CO and colleagues. He had done what many could not have imagined. He had not deployed his parachute but taken on his guts to keep the parachute safe.

6.       A similar dilemma hits the human beings who are not fighter pilots as they get egged on to deploy their parachutes for a safe landing. The aircraft can be equated to a challenge that the humans face and many would conveniently ditch the challenge to take on an easier path offered by the parachute. After all, a parachute offers arresting a great thrust as it deploys its span. It opens up big and wide and hides the falling human against the vagaries of speed which engulf his platform. The chances are brightest for the human as he lands safely but not for his platform which crashes into oblivion and is gone forever. The rookie pilot decided against all odds and kept his wits under control. The radio kept on transmitting the orders to follow the correct procedures and it was his call not to deploy his parachute. He calculated his approach as he was inside the cockpit and watched his controls in front of him. The deployment of parachute was to be his final call and he did not take it as he wanted to get his machine down on to the tarmac in a safe shape. The rookie succeeded and against all odds. The humans also are alone in their respective cockpits when emergencies of life hit them and they have to take the call to land the machine or deploy the proverbial parachute.

7.       After all who are our parachutes? Not all of us are pilots who fly planes! Most of us are mortal humans and our lives are our flight paths. We hit birds on the way and cease our control systems as situations emerge on our respective flight paths. These are the trying times when humans deploy their parachutes without taking charge of their machines and mechanics. They let go their controls and crash their life and ease out onto parachutes. They do not realise where the parachutes will land them as wind takes charge the moment the parachute expands its span. In an enemy territory, the parachute dumps the pilot soon as it hits the ground and only lies limp. It also gives away his position with its bright colors. In a friendly boundary, it still takes time as the pilot reaches his way to safety of his base station.

8.       What would you like to do? Take a chance like the rookie pilot to attempt a difficult landing against all odds or launch your parachute when the situation starts unfolding? A fight against the odd should be a natural instinct of humans. No species give up on this planet without a fair fight against the odds. After all, we all know that dinosaurs disappeared as they could not put up a fight against the change that engulfed them. Did they open their parachute all too often?

9.       The conflict lies on our minds and nowhere else. Every battle is fought between the 5 inches between ears and the confusion or clarity emerges only in this zone. Keep the parachute wrapped up securely. The call to deploy the parachute should be a final call and when all the odds have dried up. Till the juices are flowing, it is worthwhile to attempt landing the fighter airplane called life and bring the packed parachute out safely.

10.     Get up, move on, strap up, the Sun is breaking out and the Squadron is ready for a takeoff. You are the rookie pilot today. Strap up your parachute for a safe landing with all your wit and strength. Keep the fight on for the next take off.