Two stories about Flying

CBSE Class X English Language & Literature (Text Book: First Flight) 3rd Chapter.
Two parts of the story clearly described.

1. Two Stories about Flying
A PowerPoint presentation by: MrinalGhosh, PGT (English)
His first Flight
Black Aeroplane

2. About the Writers:
•His First Flight: Liam O’ Flaherty
•Black Aeroplane: Frederick Forsyth
Liam O’ Flaherty
Frederick Forsyth

3. 1. His First Flight: Introduction
The story by “Liam O’ Flaherty” is an account of a young
bird that is afraid to fly for the first time. He believes that his
wings would not support him. Despite his younger siblings
flying fearlessly with much shorter wings, he could not
gather the courage to do the same. He was punished to
stay hungry if he did not try. Thus, it was his mother that
compelled him to fly by using food as a trap.

4. 1. His First Flight: Introduction
The lesson reflects how one hesitates to take the first step
and that fear is all in the mind. One should trust one’s
abilities because “the fear of suffering is worse than the
suffering itself”.

5. 1. His First Flight: Summary
The story “His First Flight” by “Liam O’ Flaherty” is about a
young seagull who is afraid to fly. All his younger siblings
despite their much shorter wings flew fearlessly while he
could not gather the courage to trust his own wings. The
young seagull became sad when he saw his parents
perfecting his younger siblings in the art of flying. His
parents scold and taunt him for not even trying.

6. 1. His First Flight
They even call him a “coward”. They tell him a lot to at least
try and also threaten him to leave him alone and hungry if
he does not. The following day, he is left in isolation and
upon feeling hungry; he tries to seek the attention of his
family members.

7. 1. His First Flight
They even call him a “coward”. They tell him a lot to at least
try and also threaten him to leave him alone and hungry if
he does not. The following day, he is left in isolation and
upon feeling hungry; he tries to seek the attention of his
family members.

8. 1. His First Flight
Finally, he took his first flight. All the family members
celebrate his victory by cheering and dancing around him.
He also attempts at floating in the sea that he was once
afraid of. Thus, he overcomes his fear and realizes that it is
all in the mind.

9. 2. Black Aeroplane: Introduction
The lesson “Black Aeroplane” by Frederick Forsyth reflects
on how one’s judgementgets distorted due to fantasizing
and how it creates problems. In this chapter, the narrator is
a pilot who is so eager to meet his family and have a good
breakfast that he takes the wrong decision of facing the
storm instead of doing the right thing. Miraculously, he
somehow manages to escape with the help of a mysterious
aeroplane.

10. 2. Black Aeroplane: Summary
The story “Black Aeroplane” is about a pilot
who feels happy and contended to fly over a
city that is sleeping (at the night time). He is
flying from Paris to London. While taking his
flight, he dreams about the long holiday with
his family.

11. 2. Black Aeroplane: Summary
He also fantasizes about the scrumptious breakfast he
would have upon landing. As soon as he crosses Paris, he
gets a look of the dark clouds that were a sign of the
upcoming storm.

12. 2. Black Aeroplane: Summary
The right decision would have been to turn back to Paris for
the sake of safety. But he being overshadowed by his
dreams and not wanting to delay them, risks the life of his
passengers and heads straight into the storm. Everything
gets dark, he is unable to see, all his direction instruments
stopped functioning and he lost control of the plane.

13. 2. Black Aeroplane: Summary
When all hope was lost, he saw another plane whose pilot
was more than willing to rescue them. The author was
panicking as there was very less amount of fuel left. The
anonymous pilot guided them out of the storm and
disappeared as soon as they saw light.

14. 2. Black Aeroplane: Summary
Upon landing, when he asks the lady in the control room
about the other pilot, he is left in shock when she says that
his was the only plane in the sky.

15. THE END
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