About the Chapter & Author

Chapter Title
Two Stories About Flying
Author
Liam O'Flaherty & Frederick Forsyth
Genre
Short Stories — Adventure & Mystery
Setting
I: Cliffside ledge above Atlantic Ocean. II: Over the clouds above France/England
Key Characters
Story I: The Young Seagull, His Family. Story II: The Narrator (Pilot), The Mystery Pilot
Central Theme
Courage to overcome fear; faith and trust in the unknown
Textbook
First Flight (Class 10 NCERT/Assam Board)
Chapter Number
Chapter 3

All content on this page is carefully crafted by the Student Sahayak team for NCERT and Assam Board students.

Learning Objectives What you will learn

  • Understand the plot, characters, and themes of the chapter.
  • Analyze literary techniques and the author's narrative style.
  • Master key vocabulary for board examinations.
  • Write effective answers for short and long question formats.
  • Prepare for MCQs, assertion-reason, and extract-based questions.

Chapter Summary Two Stories About Flying — Complete Overview

Chapter at a Glance
Chapter 3 contains two short stories. 'His First Flight' by Liam O'Flaherty is about a young seagull who is afraid to fly and is left alone on a ledge until hunger forces him to leap — and he discovers he can fly. 'The Black Aeroplane' by Frederick Forsyth is about a pilot flying over France who gets caught in a storm, is guided to safety by a mysterious black aeroplane, and discovers afterward that no second plane was on radar that night.

Story I — His First Flight (Liam O'Flaherty): A young seagull is afraid to fly and refuses to leave his ledge, despite his brothers and sister successfully taking their first flights. His family abandons him on the ledge. Hungry and alone for a day and a night, the young seagull almost gives up hope. His mother tantalizingly holds a piece of fish near him but doesn't give it to him. In desperation and hunger, he dives toward the fish — and suddenly, instinctively, his wings spread and he is flying. He joins his family on the green sea below, proud of his achievement.

Story II — The Black Aeroplane (Frederick Forsyth): A pilot is flying an old Dakota from Paris to England over a starlit sky, looking forward to a holiday with his family. He sees storm clouds ahead but instead of turning back, decides to fly into them. His plane loses all navigation instruments — the compass spins, the radio goes dead. He is lost in the clouds, running low on fuel, when a black aeroplane appears beside him. The mysterious pilot gestures to him to follow, and leads him safely through the clouds to land. When the narrator asks the control tower about the other plane, the controller says there was no other plane on radar that night. The identity of the mysterious aeroplane remains a mystery.

Detailed Explanation Paragraph-by-Paragraph Analysis

The opening of 'His First Flight' establishes the young seagull's paralysis through fear. All his siblings have already flown; he alone remains on the ledge. His parents have tried, coaxed, and threatened him. The ledge is described as a place of safety but also of shameful isolation. His family eats, laughs, and flies while he watches from his lonely ledge.

The family's abandonment is the key turning point. Being left completely alone intensifies his hunger and loneliness. His mother's tactic — holding fish just out of reach — is psychologically clever. She forces him to act. When he madly dives for the fish, his wings spread by instinct, and he realizes he can fly. The message is clear: sometimes we need to be pushed to the edge of our fear before we discover our true abilities.

'The Black Aeroplane' is structured as a mystery. The narrator's first mistake is flying into storm clouds rather than turning back, driven by his eagerness to get home. This decision puts him in grave danger. The appearance of the black aeroplane is presented matter-of-factly — which makes it more mysterious, not less. The pilot is calm, trustworthy, and guides the narrator to safety.

The story's final revelation — that no second plane was on radar — is left unexplained. Was it a hallucination? A miracle? An angel? Frost uses this ambiguity deliberately, asking us to consider what we trust when all our instruments of reason fail.

Important Word Meanings Vocabulary from the Chapter

Word / Phrase Meaning Usage in Story
Preening (Of a bird) tidying its feathers with its beak He was preening on the ledge.
Crevice A narrow opening in a rock or wall He dug his claws into the crevice.
Upbraided Scolded angrily His mother upbraided him for his cowardice.
Swooping Moving rapidly downward through the air His mother swooped past, screaming.
Coax Persuade gradually with flattery or gentle urging His parents tried to coax him to fly.
Plunge Jump or dive quickly and energetically into something He plunged forward and fell.
Maddening Driving one crazy; intensely frustrating The sight of food was maddening.
Compass An instrument for finding direction The compass was spinning in the storm.
Enormous Very large in size Enormous black clouds loomed ahead.
Straining Making great effort, pulling hard The pilot was straining to see ahead.

Textbook Questions & Answers Thinking about the Text

1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to fly, or was it just him?
The young seagull was afraid to fly because he felt that his wings would not support him over the vast, deep sea. The distance down to the water below seemed enormous, and his legs felt powerless whenever he looked down. While it is natural for young birds to be nervous about their first flight, the young seagull's fear was extreme — he refused to fly even when his entire family had successfully done so. Most young birds overcome this fear through gradual encouragement; the young seagull required a more dramatic push — hunger combined with an unreachable piece of fish.
2. 'The sight of the food maddened him.' What does this suggest about the young seagull's state at this point?
This phrase tells us that the young seagull had been starving and watching helplessly from his ledge for a long time. He was in a desperate state — his hunger had reached a point where it was stronger than his fear. The 'maddening' sight of food meant that all rational thought (the fear of flying) was overwhelmed by the primal instinct for survival. This is the moment of his psychological breakthrough — desperation overrides fear, and he instinctively dives for the fish, discovering his ability to fly.
3. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. Why did the seagull's family leave him alone?
The seagull's family left him alone deliberately, as a strategy to force him to overcome his fear. His parents had tried encouragement, coaxing, and even threats, but nothing worked. By abandoning him on the ledge — leaving him alone, hungry, without company — they pushed him to a point where hunger and loneliness would become more powerful than his fear of flying. It was a tough but effective approach, demonstrating that sometimes support and love means letting someone face their fear alone.

1. 'I'll take the risk.' What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
The risk is flying into the massive storm clouds ahead rather than turning back to Paris. The narrator acknowledges the danger — the clouds are enormous and clearly hold a storm — but he is so eager to get home to England for his holiday with his family (specifically a 'good English breakfast') that he decides to take the chance. This decision turns out to be a grave mistake, as he loses all navigation instruments inside the storm. The risk reflects human impatience and the desire for comfort over reason.
2. Describe the narrator's experience as he flew into the clouds.
Once inside the storm clouds, the narrator's experience was terrifying. Everything went dark and the old Dakota shook violently. His compass started spinning uselessly, and he could not rely on it. The radio went dead — he could no longer communicate with anyone. He was completely lost, unable to see through the grey storm clouds, and his fuel was dangerously low. Just when he felt completely hopeless, a black aeroplane appeared beside him, its pilot silently gesturing for him to follow. The pilot of the black aeroplane guided him safely out of the clouds and onto a lit runway.
3. Who do you think helped the narrator out of the clouds? Discuss with your partner.
This is an open-ended question designed to encourage imagination and discussion. There are several possible interpretations: (a) It was a real pilot, perhaps flying without radio communication, who happened to be in the area; (b) It was a hallucination caused by stress, exhaustion, and fear — the narrator's mind created a helper out of desperation; (c) It was a supernatural/miraculous occurrence — an angel or guardian; (d) The story is making a philosophical point about faith — sometimes, when all rational instruments fail, something beyond logic guides us. The beauty of the story is that Forsyth deliberately leaves this question unanswered.

Character Sketches

The Young Seagull

The young seagull represents anyone who is paralyzed by fear at the threshold of a new challenge. His character arc — from fearful inaction to triumphant flight — is a universal story of growth. He is not stupid or weak; he is simply afraid, as anyone would be when facing the unknown. What transforms him is not strength of will but the pressure of circumstances (hunger, loneliness) and, ultimately, instinct. His story teaches us that our capabilities often reveal themselves only when we are forced to act.

The Pilot (Black Aeroplane)

The pilot narrator in 'The Black Aeroplane' represents someone who takes a risk driven by desire and then finds himself completely lost. His experience of trusting an unknown helper when all his instruments fail is a meditation on faith. The mysterious pilot of the black aeroplane represents the unknown force — whether human, supernatural, or internal — that rescues us when reason and technology fail.

Themes & Central Ideas

1. Overcoming Fear: Both stories share the theme of overcoming fear. The seagull must overcome his fear of the unknown void; the pilot must overcome his fear of the storm and trust an unknown helper.

2. Courage as Action Despite Fear: Neither protagonist is fearless. Both act despite their fear — the seagull because of hunger, the pilot because he has no choice. Real courage is action in the face of fear.

3. Faith and Trust in the Unknown: 'The Black Aeroplane' specifically explores faith. When all navigational instruments fail, the pilot's only option is to trust the mysterious black aeroplane. The story suggests that sometimes we must trust beyond reason.

4. Growth Through Challenge: Both protagonists emerge transformed by their experience. The seagull discovers flight; the pilot discovers that help can come from unexpected sources.

Moral / Message

Central Message
Fear is the greatest obstacle to growth. Our true capabilities reveal themselves only when we are willing to leap into the unknown. And sometimes, when all else fails, something beyond reason — faith, instinct, the unexplained — guides us home.

The two stories complement each other perfectly: the first shows us that capability exists within us and needs only the pressure of circumstance to emerge; the second shows us that when our own capabilities and reason are insufficient, something greater may intervene. Together, they offer a complete philosophy of facing the unknown: trust yourself, and when that is not enough, trust the unknown.

Extra Short Answer Questions 2–3 Marks

1. Why did the young seagull remain alone on the ledge?
He was afraid to fly. The vast sea below seemed too far, and he felt his wings would not support him. His siblings had already flown, but he refused to move from the ledge.
2. How did hunger help the young seagull overcome his fear?
Hunger made the seagull so desperate that when his mother held a piece of fish just out of reach, he lunged for it without thinking. In that moment, his wings spread instinctively and he discovered he could fly.
3. What decision did the pilot take that put him in danger?
The pilot decided to fly into the massive storm clouds ahead instead of turning back to Paris. He took this risk because he was eager to get home for his holiday.
4. What happened to the pilot's navigation instruments inside the storm?
Inside the storm, the compass began spinning uselessly, the radio went dead, and the pilot was completely disoriented, lost in the grey clouds with dangerously low fuel.
5. Who saved the pilot?
A mysterious black aeroplane appeared beside him. Its pilot gestured for him to follow and guided him safely out of the storm to a lit landing strip. The identity of this plane was never explained.
6. What was mysterious about the black aeroplane?
When the narrator asked the control tower about the other plane, the woman said there was no other aircraft on radar that night. The black aeroplane had appeared and disappeared without any record.
7. What was the seagull's family's strategy to make him fly?
They first tried coaxing and encouraging him. When that failed, they left him alone on the ledge, hungry and without food. His mother used hunger as a final tactic, holding fish just out of reach.
8. What was the narrator's dream destination?
The narrator was flying from Paris to England, dreaming of a holiday — specifically a good English breakfast with his family.

Long Answer Questions 5 Marks

1. How did the young seagull overcome his fear and take his first flight? What lesson does this teach?

The young seagull had been paralyzed by fear for days. Despite all his family's encouragement, threats, and coaxing, he refused to leave the ledge. When his family finally abandoned him — leaving him alone, hungry, and isolated — his condition became desperate. His hunger grew to a point where it overwhelmed his fear.

The breakthrough came when his mother flew over with a piece of fish in her beak. She hovered just out of reach, tantalizingly. The young seagull was so maddened by hunger that he forgot his fear and lunged forward — only to fall. But in that fall, something miraculous happened: his wings spread instinctively, he slowed, and he realized he was flying. He had been capable of flying all along; fear had simply prevented him from discovering it.

The lesson is clear: our greatest capabilities often lie dormant until necessity or desperation forces us to act. Fear keeps us prisoner on our ledges. Sometimes we need to be pushed — by hunger, by circumstances, by the removal of comfort — to discover what we can truly do.

2. 'The Black Aeroplane' has a mysterious, open ending. Why do you think the author chose this? What is the significance?

Frederick Forsyth deliberately left 'The Black Aeroplane' without an explanation. The mysterious pilot of the black aeroplane is never identified, and the control tower confirms no plane was on radar. This open ending serves several important purposes.

First, it preserves the story's sense of wonder and mystery. An explanation (it was a hallucination, or it was a military plane) would reduce the story to a problem-solving exercise. By leaving it open, Forsyth invites the reader to bring their own interpretation.

Second, the open ending makes the story philosophically richer. Was it faith? Was it the pilot's own subconsciousness guiding him? Was it a supernatural force? The story suggests that sometimes, when all our navigational instruments — our reason, our technology, our plans — fail, we are guided by something beyond logic. This is a powerful meditation on trust, faith, and the limits of human rationality.

Third, the ending mirrors the experience of the pilot himself: just as he was left without explanation or answers, so the reader is left without them too. We share his bewilderment and wonder, making our reading experience deeply empathetic.

Grammar & Writing Skills

I. Reported Speech — The Pilot's Story

Practice converting the pilot's first-person narrative to reported speech: 'I'll take the risk' → He said that he would take the risk. 'I was flying my old Dakota' → He said that he had been flying his old Dakota.

II. Writing Task: Diary Entry

Write a diary entry from the perspective of either (a) the young seagull after his first flight, or (b) the pilot after landing safely. Express emotions, the experience of fear, and the triumph of overcoming it.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) 50 Questions — Exam Ready

How to Use
The correct answer is highlighted in green. Cover the options and try to answer first, then check!
Q1 Who wrote 'His First Flight'?
a) Frederick Forsyth
b) Liam O'Flaherty
c) Robert Frost
d) Leslie Norris
Q2 Who wrote 'The Black Aeroplane'?
a) Liam O'Flaherty
b) Gavin Maxwell
c) Frederick Forsyth
d) G.L. Fuentes
Q3 Why did the seagull refuse to fly?
a) He was sick
b) He was lazy
c) He was afraid the sea below was too vast
d) His wings were broken
Q4 What finally forced the seagull to fly?
a) His father pushed him
b) Hunger and the sight of fish held by his mother
c) A storm
d) Another seagull
Q5 What did the seagull feel when his wings spread?
a) Pain
b) Terror
c) Surprise and then joy — he could fly
d) Nothing
Q6 Where was the pilot flying from and to?
a) London to Paris
b) Paris to England
c) India to England
d) France to Spain
Q7 What did the pilot see ahead that was dangerous?
a) Another plane
b) A mountain range
c) Enormous black storm clouds
d) A city with no runway
Q8 What happened to the compass inside the storm?
a) It worked perfectly
b) It fell apart
c) It started spinning uselessly
d) It pointed backwards
Q9 What did the mysterious black aeroplane do?
a) Attacked the narrator
b) Led him safely out of the storm
c) Landed first
d) Crashed
Q10 What did the control tower say about the black aeroplane?
a) It had safely landed
b) It was a military plane
c) There was no other plane on radar that night
d) It had turned back to France
Q11 The theme of 'His First Flight' is:
a) The beauty of seagulls
b) Overcoming fear through necessity
c) Sea life
d) Family relationships
Q12 The theme of 'The Black Aeroplane' is:
a) Modern aviation technology
b) Storms are dangerous
c) Faith and trust in the face of the unknown
d) Dreams of flying
Q13 What was the seagull's family's first strategy to make him fly?
a) Leaving him alone
b) Encouraging and coaxing him
c) Giving him extra food
d) Threatening him with abandonment right away
Q14 'Upbraided' means:
a) Encouraged
b) Praised
c) Scolded angrily
d) Taught
Q15 'Preening' in the context of the story means:
a) Fighting
b) Tidying feathers with beak
c) Flying
d) Eating
Q16 The narrator in 'The Black Aeroplane' was flying what type of plane?
a) A Spitfire
b) A modern jet
c) An old Dakota
d) A helicopter
Q17 The pilot decided to fly into the storm because:
a) He wanted adventure
b) He was ordered to
c) He was eager to reach England for his holiday
d) Turning back was impossible
Q18 What failed inside the storm clouds?
a) Only the radio
b) Only the compass
c) The compass, radio, and all navigation instruments
d) The fuel pump
Q19 How much fuel did the pilot have left when the mystery plane appeared?
a) Half full
b) Enough for an hour
c) Very little — dangerously low
d) Full tank
Q20 What did the mystery pilot do to guide the narrator?
a) Used radio
b) Wrote a note
c) Gestured with his hand to follow
d) Fired a signal flare
Q21 Where did the pilot land safely?
a) Paris
b) London Heathrow
c) A lit runway he did not recognize at first
d) An emergency beach landing
Q22 What was the narrator dreaming about during his flight?
a) His next flight
b) A promotion
c) A holiday and a good English breakfast
d) Writing his memoirs
Q23 The young seagull's name in the story is:
a) Sam
b) Jack
c) Not given — he is just 'the young seagull'
d) Billy
Q24 How many siblings did the young seagull have?
a) One brother
b) Two brothers and one sister
c) Three sisters
d) No siblings
Q25 The young seagull finally lands on:
a) A rock
b) His ledge
c) The green sea surface
d) His family's nest
Q26 Both stories in Chapter 3 share the theme of:
a) Water and air travel
b) Overcoming fear and trusting the unknown
c) Family bonds
d) The beauty of nature
Q27 'Swooping' in the context of the story means:
a) Flying slowly
b) Moving rapidly downward through the air
c) Landing on water
d) Making loud calls
Q28 The 'risk' the pilot takes is:
a) Taking off at night
b) Flying into storm clouds rather than turning back
c) Flying an old plane
d) Flying without fuel
Q29 The chapter is titled 'Two Stories About Flying' because:
a) Both are about birds only
b) Both involve characters who face fear and take flight — literally or metaphorically
c) Both are by the same author
d) Both are poems
Q30 The black aeroplane is described as:
a) White and small
b) Red and fast
c) Black with no markings — mysterious
d) Silver military aircraft
Q31 The seagull's first experience of flying is described as:
a) Terrifying throughout
b) Impossible
c) Initially terrifying, then triumphant — he soars and joins his family
d) Disappointing
Q32 What does the story 'His First Flight' suggest about courage?
a) Courage is being fearless
b) Courage is impossible without family support
c) Courage reveals itself through necessity; fear can be overcome
d) Only natural talent matters
Q33 What does the story 'The Black Aeroplane' suggest about help?
a) Always ask for help early
b) Technology is unreliable
c) Help can come from unexpected, even mysterious sources when we most need it
d) Flying is dangerous
Q34 The control room operator in 'The Black Aeroplane' was:
a) A man
b) A woman
c) Not mentioned
d) The narrator's friend
Q35 'His First Flight' is set primarily over:
a) A forest
b) A mountain range
c) The sea
d) The English countryside
Q36 Why couldn't the narrator turn back after entering the clouds?
a) He was too far
b) He was too stubborn
c) He had lost all instruments and couldn't navigate
d) The black aeroplane stopped him
Q37 The young seagull's mother held the fish to:
a) Eat it herself
b) Tease him cruelly
c) Use hunger as the final trigger to make him fly
d) Show him how to fish
Q38 Which of these best describes the young seagull's character?
a) Lazy and unintelligent
b) Afraid but ultimately brave through necessity
c) Aggressive
d) Indifferent
Q39 What is the significance of the title 'Two Stories About Flying'?
a) It has no significance
b) Flying represents literal and metaphorical freedom — overcoming fear and the unknown
c) The author liked planes
d) Both stories end in crashes
Q40 'The Black Aeroplane' is best classified as:
a) A romance
b) A comedy
c) A mystery/adventure story
d) A horror story
Q41 'His First Flight' is best classified as:
a) A nature documentary
b) An animal story about courage and growth
c) A scientific article
d) A myth
Q42 What did the seagull feel when he first fell off the ledge?
a) He landed safely
b) He felt a warm current under his wings and knew he could fly
c) He hit the water
d) He fainted
Q43 Both stories use the theme of:
a) Technology
b) Triumph over fear through action
c) Environmental conservation
d) Human cruelty
Q44 The young seagull's parents can be compared to:
a) Indifferent parents
b) Cruel parents
c) Loving parents who used tough love to push their child to grow
d) Absent parents
Q45 The narrator of 'The Black Aeroplane' is:
a) Frederick Forsyth himself
b) A fictional pilot narrator
c) Nelson Mandela
d) Liam O'Flaherty
Q46 After landing safely, the narrator felt:
a) Angry at himself
b) Overjoyed but bewildered about the mystery plane
c) Indifferent
d) Guilty
Q47 'I'll take the risk' reflects the narrator's:
a) Wisdom
b) Cowardice
c) Eagerness to reach home overriding rational caution
d) Military training
Q48 The seagull's family's abandonment was:
a) Cruel neglect
b) Deliberate strategy — tough love to force him to fly
c) Accidental
d) Permanent
Q49 Both protagonists in Chapter 3 ultimately experience:
a) Failure
b) Triumph after facing their fears
c) Death
d) Loss of family
Q50 The mystery in 'The Black Aeroplane' is never solved because:
a) The author forgot to write the ending
b) The story invites readers to explore themes of faith and the inexplicable
c) The narrator was lying
d) It was a dream sequence

Assertion & Reason Questions

Assertion (A):
The young seagull overcame his fear when his mother held food out of reach.
Reason (R):
Hunger was stronger than his fear of flying.
Answer: (A) — Both A and R are true and R correctly explains A.
Assertion (A):
The black aeroplane was confirmed to be a military plane by the control tower.
Reason (R):
The control tower reported there was no other plane on radar that night.
Answer: (D) — A is false. The control tower said no plane was on radar.

Fill in the Blanks

1.'His First Flight' was written by Liam O'Flaherty.
2.'The Black Aeroplane' was written by Frederick Forsyth.
3.The seagull refused to fly because he was afraid.
4.The pilot was flying from Paris to England.
5.Inside the storm, the compass started spinning uselessly.
6.The mysterious plane was a black aeroplane.
7.The control tower said there was no other plane on radar.
8.The seagull's hunger triggered his first flight.
9.The pilot was flying an old Dakota.
10.The word 'upbraided' means scolded angrily.

Important Extracts

"He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge, and standing there alone, he felt his whole body quivering with fear..."
Questions: (a) Who is 'he'? (b) What is he about to do? (c) Why is he afraid?

(a) 'He' is the young seagull.

(b) He is about to attempt his first flight.

(c) He is afraid because the sea below seems too vast and deep, and he fears his wings will not support him.

Previous Year Questions

1. (3 Marks) How did the young seagull overcome his fear? [NCERT]
Hunger and necessity overcame his fear. His mother held fish just out of reach, he lunged, fell, and his wings instinctively spread — he flew.
2. (5 Marks) What is the mystery of the black aeroplane? [Assam Board]
The black aeroplane appeared beside the narrator inside the storm clouds and guided him to safety. When he asked about it, the control tower confirmed no other plane was on radar. The identity and origin of the mysterious plane is never explained.
3. (2 Marks) What happened to the narrator's instruments inside the storm? [Board]
His compass spun uselessly, radio went dead, and all navigation instruments failed. He was completely lost with very low fuel.

Board Exam Preparation Tips

Story I Key Point

The mechanism of the seagull's breakthrough: hunger + mother holding fish + instinctive dive = first flight. Know this sequence precisely.

Story II Key Point

The mystery: no other plane was on radar. The story is deliberately left unexplained. This is a question about faith and the inexplicable.

Common Theme

Both stories = overcoming fear. The seagull does it through necessity; the pilot does it by trusting an unknown force. Link them thematically in long answers.

Revision Notes

🦅

Story I

Seagull afraid to fly. Family leaves. Hunger triggers flight. He soars.

✈️

Story II

Pilot flies into storm. Instruments fail. Black aeroplane guides him. No radar record.

💡

Theme

Overcome fear through action. Trust beyond reason.

FAQ

What is the theme of Chapter 3?
Overcoming fear through necessity and faith in the unknown.
Who wrote the two stories?
'His First Flight' by Liam O'Flaherty; 'The Black Aeroplane' by Frederick Forsyth.
What is mysterious about the black aeroplane?
No other plane was on radar that night, yet the black aeroplane guided the pilot to safety. Its identity is never explained.
How did the seagull finally fly?
Hunger made him lunge for fish his mother held out of reach. In the dive, his wings spread instinctively and he flew.
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Hafijul Islam

Founder & Chief Content Creator, Student Sahayak

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