TWO STORIES ABOUT FLYING NOTES

SUMMARY- HIS FIRST FLIGHT

The story “His First Flight” is written by Liam O’Flaherty and is based on a
young seagull who was afraid to take his first flight because he feared that his
wings wouldn’t support him while flying. All his siblings took the plunge to fly
fearlessly in the open air despite having shorter wings than him. On the
contrary, the young bird could not muster up courage to take the plunge due to
distrust on his wings.

Whenever he tried to come forward towards the brink of the ledge while
attempting to fly, he became afraid and went back. His parents constantly
upbraided and threatened him that unless he flew away he would have to starve
alone on the ledge, but all their efforts went in vain. He would just watch his
parents teaching his siblings how to skim the waves and dive for fish.

One fine day, the whole family flew to a big plateau and taunted the young
seagull for his cowardice. As the sun rays blazed on his ledge, he could feel the
heat and was starving since the previous nightfall. The young bird begged his
mother to bring him some food. He uttered a joyful scream when his mother
quickly picked a piece of fish and flew across to him. He leaned out eagerly and
jumped at the fish exasperated by hunger.

Suddenly he fell outward in the open space and a monstrous terror seized him as
he could feel that he was falling downward. The next moment he felt his wings
spread outwards and he was able to fly fearlessly. Finally, the young seagull
took his first flight and soared higher and skimmed through the waves and dived
along with his siblings.

SUMMARY- BLACK AEROPLANE

“Black Aeroplane” is a mysterious story written by Fredrik Forsyth that

revolves around a pilot. The narrator of the story is a pilot who wanted to be
with his family and enjoy a wholesome breakfast with them in England. He had
to fly from France. to England to spend time with his family. The plane was
Dakota DS-088 and was flying at night. After the journey of 150 Km, suddenly
the pilot came across the storm clouds that looked like black mountains. It was
just in front of him and he was in a confusion whether he should return back or
should face the storm.
However, he flew through the clouds and soon realized that everything around
him had turned completely black. Nothing was visible to him outside the
aeroplane. He noticed that the cloud was looking so dangerous, but finally he
entered the clouds and found that the compass and the radio had stopped
working. He was completely helpless. Suddenly he noticed that a black
aeroplane was flying just beside his aeroplane. It had no lights on its wings. The
pilot of that aeroplane waved his hands and signalled him to follow. He began
to follow him just like an obedient child.

After sometime he noticed that the fuel in the second tank was left only for the
Journey for 5 to10 minutes. He began to feel frightened but was following the
other aeroplane continuously. Suddenly he noticed that he was out of the storm
and the runway of an airport was being seen. After watching that he got relaxed
and landed his aeroplane. He was trying to find out the other pilot and the black
aeroplane, but couldn’t see them. After landing his aeroplane, he went to the
woman who was sitting in the control center and asked her about the black
aeroplane. He wanted to thank him for saving his life. But the woman in the
control center told him that there was no other airplane in the night sky other
than his aeroplane. Then surprisingly, he began to think continuously about the
incident and finally couldn’t reach to any conclusion whether the black
aeroplane was his imagination or did any other miracle occur?

EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS:

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. The moon was coming up in the east, behind me, and stars were shining
in the clear sky above me. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was happy
to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside.

(a) Who does ‘I’ refer to here?

I refers to the pilot of the Dakota plane.
(b) Where was he going?
He was going to England from France.
(c) What made him happy?
The pilot was looking forward to spending his holiday with his family and to
have a good, big English breakfast.
(d) Which words in the above extract indicate that the weather was fine?
The words like Rising moon and cloudless sky indicate that the weather was
fine.

2. He waited a moment in surprise, wondering why she did not come

nearer, and then maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. With a loud
scream he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then a monstrous
terror seized him and his heart stood still.

(a) Who does ‘he’ refer to here?

He refers to the young seagull.
(b) Who is ‘she’ here?
She refers to the seagull’s mother.
(c) What did he think she would offer him?
He thought that she would offer him a fish to eat.
(d) Find a word from the extract which means the same as ‘dreadful’
Monstrous.

3. Only his mother was looking at him. She was standing on a little high
hump on the plateau, her white breast thrust forward. Now and again,
she tore at a piece of fish that lay at her feet and then scrapped each side
of her beak on the rock. The sight of the food maddened him. How he
loved to tear food that way, scrapping his beak now and again to whet
it.
(a) The young seagull’s mother was standing on a little high--------------
on the plateau.
hump
(b) The sight of the food -------------------- him.
maddened.
(c) Now and again, the young seagull’s mother tore at a piece of fish that
lay at her feet. (True/ False)
True.
(d) Find a word from the extract which means same as ‘sharpen’
Whet

4. Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. It was impossible to

see anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane jumped and
twisted in the air. I looked at the compass. I could not believe my eyes:
the compass was turning round and round. It was dead. It would not
work. The other instruments were suddenly dead, too.

(a) Why could the writer not see anything outside the aeroplane?
The writer could not see anything outside the aeroplane because it was
dark outside due to dark clouds.
(b) Why was the aeroplane twisting in the air?
All the instruments of the plane were not working and due to stormy
night, the plane could not be kept under control.
(c) Why could the writer not believe his eyes?
The writer could not believe his eyes because the compass was turning
round and round.
(d) Find a word from the extract which means the same as ‘and curved
in different direction’.
Twisted.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. Fear and lack of confidence stop one from learning new things. Do you
agree? How did these two traits of the young seagull make him coward?
How did he overcome these short comings?

Yes, it is true that fear and lack of confidence stop one from learning new
things as in the story, the young seagull lacked courage and confidence in
his character. He was too scared of flying. His family tried hard to make him
fly but he refused to do so because of his fear of sinking in the seawater.
They even scolded him for his cowardice. They tried to tempt him with food
but he was not willing to learn flying. Once he dived, his fear disappeared
and he enjoyed his first flight.

It is a fact that unless we try for something and overcome our fear, we can’t
learn anything. Confidence and motivation are two most important traits that
make any learning possible.

2. Describe the methods used by the seagull’s family to help the young
seagull overcome his fear and fly.

This story is about a young seagull. The time had come when he should fly
like his parents and brothers and sister. But he was afraid to fly. His parents
tried their best to teach him how to fly. But he refused to fly. They left him
alone on his ledge. They threatened him that he would starve. Even then he
was too afraid to fly. His brothers and sister made fun of him. They laughed
at his cowardice. At last, his mother thought of a plan. She took a piece of
fish in her beak and flew towards him. She came near him but did not land
on the ledge. The young seagull was very hungry. He came to the brink of
the ledge. In order to get food, he dived at the fish. But he fell from the rock.
He became terrified. But it was only for a moment. The next moment, he
flapped his wings and started flying. In this way, his mother was able to
make him fly.

3. The narrator had two options of avoiding the terrible storm clouds.
Why didn’t he use them? Was his decision of flying straight into storm
clouds a sound decision?
The narrator could see black mountains of clouds all around him. They were
storm clouds. He had two options and by using them he could avoid the
terrible storm clouds. He could go back to Paris. He had left Paris 150
kilometers behind. He wanted to go back but the temptation of having an early
breakfast at home stopped him. He couldn’t fly up and above the
storm clouds either. He didn’t have enough fuel to fly around them to the
north or south. It seems that flying back to Paris would have been the best
option in those circumstances. He couldn’t fly north or south of the storm as
he hadn’t enough fuel in the second tank. His decision of flying straight into
the storm clouds was motivated by his desire to have an early breakfast with
his family. It was rather a bold but risky decision. He would have been in
deep trouble, had the pilot of the strange black areoplane not helped him to
land safely.

4. Overcoming fear is the first step to success. how does this saying stand
true in context of the story ‘his first flight’’?

The story is about a young seagull who is yet to learn to fly. Unlike his
younger brothers and sister, he is unable to overcome the fear of falling
down into the sea, hence he remained sitting on the cliff. His younger
siblings despite having shorter wings overcame fear and took a plunge as
directed by their parents.

The seagull continues to be left in isolation without any sympathy from his
parents. No amount of his cries, arising out of starvation, is able to melt his
parents’ hearts. Finally, the seagull undergoes a mental transformation which
helps him to muster courage. By flapping his wings and overcoming fear he
takes a plunge. In the process he discovers his ever-present talent to fly
which till now was not known to him. Hence the seagull proved that
overcoming fear is the important key to success.

5. Was the mother successful in helping the seagull overcome his fear and
teach him the art of flying?

Yes, the mother was successful in helping the seagull overcome his fear.
when the young seagull was left alone on the ledge, he began to starve. He
saw his mother pick up a piece of fish and fly towards him. She halted just
close to the ledge. The young seagull was mad with hunger and dived at his
mother for the fish. He fell downwards into space and cried in fear. But then
his wings spread outwards. he flapped his wings there and began to fly. All
his fear was gone.it was his first flight.

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Question 1:

Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are
afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do
you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first steps?

Answer:

The young seagull was afraid to fly because it was his first flight and he feared
that he might fall and hurt himself. He thought that his wings would not support
him while he attempts to make his first flight. Yes, I believe it’s quite natural
and obvious that doing something for the first time can be fearful and a bit
challenging. Certainly, all birds must be afraid to make their first flight.

Likewise, a human baby is also afraid and finds it very challenging when he/she
takes his/her first steps or when he/she learns to crawl or walk on his/her own
without any support.

Question 2:

“The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What
compelled the young seagull to finally fly?

Answer:

The young seagull failed to muster up courage in order to make his first flight.
His family constantly upbraided him to take the plunge, but to no avail. They let
him stay on the ledge until he was ready to take the plunge. He was left there for
more than twenty four hours and was very hungry by then. Due to this hunger,
he was ultimately compelled to fly. Furthermore, his hunger intensified when he
saw his mother tearing at a piece of fish that was lying at her feet. He cried
desperately begging her to get some food for him. Seeing this, when his mother
came towards him with food in her beak, the little seagull screamed with joy
and anticipation. However, she stopped midway and the young seagull
wondered why she did not come closer to him. Maddened by hunger, he dived
at the food in his mother’s beak. At that moment, he fell outwards and
downwards into the great expanse of sea beneath the cliff. He was terrified and
could feel his heart stood still. But soon enough, he felt his wings spread
outwards and he realized that he could fly like others. Therefore, his hunger
overpowered his fear and finally he made his first flight joyfully.

Question 3:
“They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and
mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?

Answer:

The young seagull’s parents were constantly beckoning him and tried
everything to make his first flight. However, he was very reluctant to take the
plunge due to his fear of falling down from the cliff. He looked at his brothers
and sister who flew away, but he was hesitant to make any effort. Due to this
reason, his whole family had left him alone on his ledge and threatened and
persuaded him to fly, but all efforts went in vain.

Question 4:

Have you ever had a similar experience, where your parents encouraged you to
do something that you were too scared to try? Discuss this in pairs or groups.

Answer:

Yes, I had a similar experience while trying to learn how to ride a bicycle when
I was in the fourth standard. Initially, I found it difficult to balance myself and
fell down often which developed a fear of cycling in me. Unable to overcome
the fear, I gave up cycling, but my parents would always cajole me to try and
practice cycling whenever I get time. My father would hold the bicycle from
behind to help me balance myself, but whenever he left it, I would lose balance
and fall down. Gradually as I practiced every day, my cycling skills improved
and I could ride it without my father’s support from behind and this also
developed my confidence to a great extent. Thus, I overcame my fear of cycling
and started riding a cycle confidently when I practiced it on a daily basis. Now,
I use a cycle while going to and coming from school every day.

Question 5:

In the case of a bird flying, it seems a natural act, and a foregone conclusion that
it should succeed. In the examples you have given in answer to the previous
question, was your success guaranteed, or was it important for you to try,
regardless of a possibility of failure?

Answer:

It is natural for everyone to face some problems initially while trying to learn or
pick up a new skill. Many a time, due to the fear of failure, we are reluctant to
perform a particular task or attempt something new. In case of the seagull, his
parents constantly cajoled him to fly. Similarly, when I was learning to ride a
cycle for the first time, my father always persuaded me to learn cycling. Hence,
at that stage, it was important for me to overcome my fear and learn cycling for
my own good.

Yes, my success was assured because if one is focused and determined to

achieve something then success is guaranteed. Moreover, we are all aware of
the famous adage, “Practice makes a man perfect”.

Question 1:

“I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?

Answer:

The pilot of Dakota DS 088 plane was keen to reach home in England to spend
a holiday with his family. On the way, his plane was engulfed in a huge storm
of black clouds. So, he decided to fly straight into the storm as he did not want
to miss the opportunity to meet his family for a good big English breakfast.
Thus, he took the risk of flying through the storm even when the visibility was
almost nil.

Question 2:

Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.

Answer:

As the pilot (author) entered the big storm of clouds, his plane started to jump
and twirl in the air. He could not see anything outside the plane as it was
engulfed in the midst of storm clouds that was completely black. When he
looked at the compass and other instruments, they had stopped functioning due
to the turbulent weather. It was a fearsome and frightening experience for the
pilot. The fuel tank of his plane was also almost empty and he could not fly
more than ten minutes in it. Suddenly out of nowhere, he saw another black
aeroplane with no lights on its wings appeared by his side and the pilot of that
plane beckoned him to follow. The narrator obediently followed the other black
plane that was having no light. He followed the strange black aeroplane without
any choice through the storm and soon landed on the runway safely.

Question 3:
Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the
old Dakota...”?

Answer:

The pilot was delighted to land safely after being caught in a dense storm of
dark clouds and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota. He was filled
with gratitude for the pilot in the other black aeroplane and desperately wanted
to thank him for helping him in such a fearsome situation. He was indeed
feeling sorry that he could not thank his benefactor enough for helping him land
on the runway safely.

Question 4:

What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?

Answer:

The woman in the Control Centre looked at the narrator strangely because when
the narrator mentioned about the black aeroplane that helped him land safely on
the runway. She gave him a surprised look and told him that no one except the
narrator’s plane was in the sky during the storm. Even the radar reflected the
narrator’s plane as the only one in the night sky.

Question 5:

Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among
yourselves and give reasons for your answer.

Answer:

Although there is no definite answer to express who was the unknown pilot who
helped the narrator. We can assume that probably it was the narrator himself
who overcame his fear in the midst of a storm as no other plane was visible in
the radar except the narrator’s Dakota DS 088. In that frightening situation, the
pilot might have fantasized that someone came to his help. However, it is
evident that he was a good pilot himself who was brave enough to fly through a
dense and turbulent storm and land on the runway safely.

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