Two Stories About Flying — Class 10 English (First Flight)

"The biggest barrier to flight is FEAR. Overcome it, and the sky is yours."

1. About the Chapter

This chapter contains TWO STORIES about flying:

1. 'His First Flight' by Liam O'Flaherty — a young seagull learns to fly
2. 'The Black Aeroplane' by Frederick Forsyth — a pilot lost in storm is mysteriously guided

Both explore FEAR and COURAGE but in very different ways.

2. STORY 1: His First Flight

Author: Liam O'Flaherty

• Irish writer (1896-1984)
• Known for animal stories
• Realistic, gritty style

Setting

• A cliff by the sea
• A seagull's nest with parents and siblings

Plot Summary

Part 1: Fear The young seagull is AFRAID to fly. His brothers and sister have already flown. He watches them from the ledge.

Part 2: Hunger For 24 hours, his parents stop feeding him. He grows hungrier and weaker.

Part 3: Temptation His mother flies near with a piece of fish in her beak. She tempts him to fly to her.

Part 4: The Leap Driven by hunger, he leans too far and FALLS from the ledge. His wings instinctively spread. He DISCOVERS HE CAN FLY!

Part 5: Joy He soars over the sea, eating, playing — a complete flier.

Themes

• Fear — paralysing but conquerable
• Necessity — pushes us to grow (hunger forced him)
• Family — tough love (parents withholding food)
• Self-discovery — we don't know our capabilities until we try

Key Lines

"He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge, and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing, he closed one eye, then the other..."

"He hadn't the courage to flap his wings."

"Then a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a minute. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards."

3. STORY 2: The Black Aeroplane

Author: Frederick Forsyth

• British writer (1938-)
• Known for thrillers and adventure stories

Setting

• Night flight over France/England
• Storm clouds in the sky
• An OLD Dakota (DC-3) aeroplane

Plot Summary

Part 1: A Peaceful Flight The narrator (pilot) is flying his Dakota from Paris to London. He's happy — dreaming of holiday, English breakfast, family.

Part 2: The Storm Suddenly, ENORMOUS BLACK STORM CLOUDS appear. He's already over the English Channel.

Part 3: Decision He has options:

• Turn back (safe)
• Go through storm (risky but faster)

He decides to GO STRAIGHT — wants to reach home for breakfast.

Part 4: Lost Inside the storm:

• All instruments STOP working
• Compass, radio dead
• Can't see anything

He's COMPLETELY LOST.

Part 5: The Black Aeroplane Suddenly, ANOTHER PLANE appears — a BLACK aeroplane. No lights on the wings. The pilot waves: 'Follow me.'

Part 6: Guidance The narrator follows blindly. He has no choice. Fuel running out.

Part 7: Safe Landing After 30 minutes, the black plane leads him through a gap in clouds — he sees an airport runway. He lands safely.

Part 8: The Mystery He goes to thank the other pilot, but the woman in the control tower says: 'No other plane was flying that night. There was nothing on the radar.'

So WHO/WHAT was the black plane? A miracle? Supernatural? Unknown.

Themes

• Mystery — unexplained, supernatural elements
• Survival — instinct and luck in crisis
• Trust — following an unknown guide
• Faith — believing in what we can't explain

Key Lines

"I had no nose now! The Black Aeroplane is also lost!"

"I made my decision: I would take the dangerous route."

"'I am called Old Dakota,' I said. 'My altitude is twelve thousand feet. Over.'"

"'No,' she said. 'I can't see any other plane on the radar.'"

4. Comparing the Two Stories

5. Characters

His First Flight

• Young seagull — afraid, hungry, finally brave
• Mother seagull — tough but loving
• Father seagull — supportive
• Brothers and sister — already flying

The Black Aeroplane

• The narrator/pilot — confident, then desperate, then grateful
• The black plane pilot — unknown, mysterious
• The woman in control tower — confirms the mystery

6. Literary Devices

Personification

• 'His First Flight' uses thoughts and emotions for seagull
• Makes us identify with the bird

Suspense

• 'Black Aeroplane' uses suspense — will he survive?
• Mystery at the end keeps us thinking

Imagery

• Cliff and sea vividly described
• Storm clouds, instruments dying — visual descriptions

First Person

• Both stories use first-person/intimate viewpoint
• Makes us experience the fear

7. Common Mistakes

1. One author wrote both stories — NO. Liam O'Flaherty wrote 'His First Flight'; Frederick Forsyth wrote 'The Black Aeroplane'.

2. Seagull's parents abandoned him — NO. Tough love. They wanted him to fly.

3. The black plane was identified — NO. It remained MYSTERIOUS at the end.

4. The pilot died — NO. He LANDED SAFELY.

5. Both stories are about real animals — Only the first is about an animal.

8. Themes (Combined)

1. Fear

Both protagonists face overwhelming fear.

2. Courage

Both must act despite fear.

3. Help from Unexpected Sources

• Seagull: harsh family
• Pilot: mysterious plane

4. Survival

Both survive through perseverance.

5. Mystery vs. Realism

• Seagull story: realistic
• Pilot story: mysterious, unexplained

9. Indian Context

Indian Bird Mythology

• Garuda (mythological eagle) — symbol of bravery
• Jatayu in Ramayana — gave its life flying to fight Ravana

Indian Aviation

• Air India — national airline
• IndiGo, Vistara — major Indian carriers
• HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) — Indian aerospace
• ISRO — Indian space agency

Indian Mountain Stories

• Many Indian mountain stories involve mysterious help (Sherpas, monks)
• 'Black Aeroplane' resonates with Himalayan mystery stories

10. Worked Examples

Example 1: His First Flight — Theme

What did hunger teach the seagull?

• Hunger taught him that fear was secondary to survival. It pushed him to leap, and in leaping, he discovered his wings worked. Necessity is the mother of action.

Example 2: Black Aeroplane — Mystery

What is the mystery in 'The Black Aeroplane'?

• The mysterious black plane that guided the pilot to safety was NOT visible on radar. The control tower confirmed no other plane was flying. So who/what was it? The story leaves it as an UNEXPLAINED mystery — perhaps a guardian, perhaps imagination.

Example 3: Comparison

How are the two protagonists similar?

• Both faced overwhelming fear. Both received unexpected help. Both survived. Both stories show that courage emerges in crisis.

11. Lessons / Morals

1. Fear is conquerable — both stories show this
2. Necessity drives action — hunger or storm forces us
3. Help comes in unexpected forms — family or mystery
4. Try before assuming you can't — seagull's lesson
5. Some things remain mysterious — and that's okay

12. Conclusion

'Two Stories About Flying' offers two perspectives on FEAR and COURAGE:

• Animal world: seagull conquers natural fear, discovers innate ability
• Adult world: pilot survives storm with mysterious help

Both stories TEACH that fear is universal — but so is the ability to overcome it.

For Indian students:

• READ carefully for details
• COMPARE the two stories
• WRITE about courage in your life
• ANALYSE the mystery in story 2

'Two Stories About Flying' — two takes on fear, faith, and the human (and animal) spirit.