It was 1970 and
Brigadier Tariq Mehmood (T.M Tiger) was on a specialised course for Para Jump in Fort Bragg paratrooping school in America. During the course, he came to know about the lowest altitude parachute opening record, held by a British and an Indian paratrooper. In this jump even a few meters matters because if a paratrooper enters in the high air pressure zone, the ropes of parachute get tangled which cripples the parachute and the paratrooper might fall directly on the ground. Indian paratrooper was in India, but the British paratrooper was in Fort Bragg those days.
TM asked his instructor to arrange a competition between him and the British guy. A date was decided for the competition.
On the specific day, both jumpers made the plunge from the air craft. All the students and faculty of the school was gathered to see the competition. Although TM was famous for his past records and was famous among Pakistan army and Special Forces of the world, everyone was expecting that the British guy will win the competition. Time was passing swiftly and both paratroopers were heading towards ground without opening their parachutes. The critical limit where parachutes were to be opened at any cost was near.
At last, on a very low altitude, British opened his parachute. After a few seconds, TM opened his chute as well. TM visibly gained victory over the British. Everyone was stunned at the moment. “How were you able to control yourself, didn't you see the altimeter?”asked one of his fellow American students. “What altimeter? I was keeping an eye on the British and I decided that I will open my chute after he opens it”, TM calmly replied. The record of TM was registered in the record book.
