NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 3: Two Stories about Flying

Q: Who wrote the two stories in Chapter 3 of First Flight?

His First Flight was written by Liam O'Flaherty and The Black Aeroplane by Frederick Forsyth.

Complete Class 10 English Two Stories about Flying solutions from First Flight – covering both parts, “His First Flight” (Liam O’Flaherty) and “The Black Aeroplane” (Frederick Forsyth). You get an original summary, theme, word meanings and every textbook exercise – Oral Comprehension Check, Thinking about the Text, Thinking about Language and Talk about it – reproduced with NCERT headings and answered fully, plus extra questions, MCQs and Assertion–Reason for board exam practice.

Class: 10 Subject: English Book: First Flight Type: Prose (Chapter 3) Authors: Liam O’Flaherty & Frederick Forsyth Session: 2026–27

On this page

About the authors
Summary
Theme & message
Word meanings
His First Flight – Oral Comprehension Check
His First Flight – Thinking about the Text
The Black Aeroplane – Oral Comprehension Check
The Black Aeroplane – Thinking about the Text
Thinking about Language
Talk about it
Extra questions
MCQs & Assertion–Reason
Exam tips
FAQs

About the authors

Liam O’Flaherty (1896–1984) was a celebrated Irish writer known for his powerful short stories about nature, animals and the struggle for survival. “His First Flight” reflects his keen eye for the natural world, capturing the fear and triumph of a young seagull learning to fly.

Frederick Forsyth (1938–2025) was a famous English novelist and former Royal Air Force pilot, best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal. His personal flying experience lends authenticity and suspense to “The Black Aeroplane”, a mysterious tale of a pilot rescued in a storm.

Summary

His First Flight

A young seagull is the only one of his family who has not yet flown. Terrified by the vast drop of the sea below his ledge, he refuses to take the plunge, even though his younger brothers and sister have already flown away. For twenty-four hours his family ignores him, and his parents call out, threatening to let him starve unless he flies. Hunger gradually overpowers his fear. When his mother flies near with a piece of fish in her beak but stops just out of reach, the maddened bird dives at the food and falls into space. In a moment of panic his heart stands still – but then he feels his wings spread, the wind lift him, and he is soaring. His fear vanishes as he glides, banks and dives like the rest of his family. Finally he lands on the green sea, exhausted yet proud, while his family surrounds him with praise and food. He has made his first flight.

The Black Aeroplane

A pilot is flying his old Dakota over France towards England, dreaming of a holiday and an English breakfast. Suddenly huge storm clouds rise like black mountains across his path. Lacking fuel to go round them, he risks flying straight into the storm. Inside, everything turns black; his compass, instruments and radio all die, and he is lost. Then a strange black aeroplane appears beside him, its pilot signalling “Follow me.” The narrator follows the mysterious plane through the storm until he safely sees a runway and lands. When he turns to thank his rescuer, the black aeroplane has vanished. The woman in the control centre tells him that no other aeroplane was flying that night – his was the only one on the radar. The story ends on a haunting, unsolved mystery: who was the pilot who guided him to safety?

Theme & message

Both stories explore the theme of conquering fear and finding courage in moments of crisis. In “His First Flight”, the seagull learns that fear is often greater than the danger itself, and that one must take a leap of faith to discover one’s own strength – just as a child takes its first steps. “The Black Aeroplane” adds a layer of mystery and gratitude, showing how unexpected help can arrive in our darkest hour and how survival can leave us with questions that have no rational answer. Together they celebrate determination, trust and the human (and animal) urge to overcome obstacles.

Word meanings

Word	English meaning
ledge	a narrow horizontal shelf projecting from a cliff
brink	the very edge of something
expanse	a wide, open stretch (here, of sea)
muster up	to gather (courage)
plunge	a sudden jump or dive downward
upbraiding	scolding
taunting	mocking; teasing cruelly
preening	making an effort to clean and tidy feathers
derisively	in a mocking manner
plaintively	in a sad, pleading way
monstrous terror	a huge, overwhelming fear
soaring	flying high and smoothly
curveting	leaping like a horse (while flying)
banking	flying with one wing higher than the other
beckoning	signalling someone to come
exhausted	extremely tired
Dakota	a type of old propeller aeroplane
compass	an instrument that shows direction
runway	the strip on which aircraft take off and land
obedient	willing to do as told
frightened	afraid; scared
strangely	in an odd, puzzling way

His First Flight – Oral Comprehension Check

(These are the standard NCERT ‘Oral Comprehension Check’ questions asked while reading “His First Flight”.)

1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?

ANSWERThe young seagull was afraid to fly because the sea stretched far below his ledge – a long way down, miles down. He felt certain that his wings would never be able to support him, so he could not summon the courage to take the plunge.

2. What did his parents do to make him fly?

ANSWERHis parents called to him shrilly, scolded him and even threatened to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. They flew about teaching his brothers and sister, taunting him with his cowardice, and finally his mother tempted him with a piece of fish held just out of reach – so that hunger would force him to fly.

3. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest?

ANSWERIt suggests that the seagull was extremely hungry, having eaten nothing since the previous nightfall. His desperate craving for food was so strong that it overpowered his fear of flying – hunger drove him to dive at the fish his mother dangled, which led to his first flight.

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

ANSWERThey threatened and cajoled him because they knew that flying was natural and necessary for his survival. By alternately scolding, taunting and tempting him, they tried to push him past his fear so that he would finally trust his wings and learn to fly on his own.

His First Flight – Thinking about the Text

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?

ANSWERThe young seagull was afraid to fly because the sea lay far below and he was convinced his wings could not support him. Not all young birds are equally fearful – his brothers and sister, whose wings were even shorter, flew without such hesitation, so some birds are clearly more timid than others. In the same way, a human baby also finds its first steps a challenge: it fears falling and needs encouragement and many attempts before it gains confidence and walks on its own.

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

ANSWERIt suggests that the seagull was tormented by intense hunger, as he had not eaten for over a day. What finally compelled him to fly was this hunger: when his mother brought a piece of fish but stopped just out of reach, he was so maddened by hunger that he dived at the food and fell into space – and in that fall he discovered that his wings could carry him.

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

ANSWERHis parents loved him and knew he had to fly to survive and become independent. Since fear was holding him back, they used both threats (warning that he would starve) and coaxing (tempting him with food) to overcome his timidity. Their tough love was meant to help him trust his own ability and conquer the fear that kept him on the ledge.

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(Sample) Yes – once I was too scared to dive into the deep end of a swimming pool. My parents stood at the edge, encouraging me and assuring me they would be there. After much hesitation I finally jumped, and I discovered I could swim back easily. Like the seagull, my fear had been far greater than the real danger. (Share your own experience in class.)

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(Sample) For the bird, flying is instinctive and almost certain to succeed. In human experiences, however, success is not guaranteed – I might have struggled or failed at first. What mattered was the willingness to try in spite of the risk of failure. Effort and courage are more important than a guaranteed outcome, because we learn and grow only by attempting difficult things.

The Black Aeroplane – Oral Comprehension Check

(These are the standard NCERT ‘Oral Comprehension Check’ questions asked while reading “The Black Aeroplane”.)

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

ANSWERThe risk is flying his old Dakota straight into the huge storm clouds, instead of safely turning back to Paris. The narrator takes it because he is eager to get home, be with his family and enjoy a good English breakfast; he does not want to delay his journey, so he chooses the dangerous shortcut through the storm.

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

ANSWERInside the storm everything turned suddenly black and he could see nothing outside. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. His compass began spinning round and round and went dead, and the other instruments failed too. When he tried the radio, there was no answer – it was dead as well. With no compass, no radio and no visibility, he was completely lost and frightened in the storm.

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

ANSWERHe says this because the flight through the storm had been a terrifying ordeal in which he had nearly lost his life. He was hugely relieved to be safe on the ground at last, so he felt no regret in leaving the old Dakota that had given him such a dangerous and frightening journey.

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

ANSWERShe looked at him strangely because he asked about another aeroplane and another pilot who had guided him through the storm. She told him that no other aeroplanes were flying that night – his was the only one she could see on the radar. His talk of a black aeroplane therefore seemed impossible and puzzling to her.

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

ANSWER(Sample) The black aeroplane appeared only to the narrator and never showed up on the radar, so it could not have been a real plane. It may have been a guardian angel, a guiding spirit, or simply the narrator’s own subconscious courage and flying instinct taking over in the crisis. The story deliberately leaves it a mystery, suggesting that some help comes in ways we cannot rationally explain. (Discuss your own view.)

The Black Aeroplane – Thinking about the Text

Study the sentences given below. The word ‘black’ carries different shades of meaning; use the context to explain it.

(NCERT prints this work on the word ‘black’ under the post-text exercises. The four sample sentences are: (a) They looked like black mountains. (b) Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. (c) In the black clouds near me, I saw another aeroplane. (d) The strange black aeroplane was there.)

ANSWERIn sentences (a) and (c), ‘black’ refers to the very darkest colour – the storm clouds were so dark and dense that they looked black.In sentences (b) and (d), ‘black’ means without light / with no light – inside the clouds there was complete darkness, and the rescuing aeroplane showed no lights.

Thinking about Language

I. Now, try to guess the meanings of the word ‘black’ in the sentences given below. Check the meanings in the dictionary and find out whether you have guessed right.

ANSWER1. Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black. → very dirty / covered with dirt.2. The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was green. → an angry / hostile look.3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity. → most wicked / evil.4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy. → comedy that deals with grim or tragic subjects (dark humour).5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell these in black. → illegally / through the black market.6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue. → severely / so as to leave bruises.

II. Match the phrases given under Column A with their meanings given under Column B.

Column A	Column B (meaning)
1. Fly a flag	Display a flag on a long pole
2. Fly into rage	Become suddenly very angry
3. Fly along	Move quickly / suddenly
4. Fly high	Be successful
5. Fly the coop	Escape from a place

III. We know that the word ‘fly’ (of birds/insects) means to move through air using wings. Tick the words which have the same or nearly the same meaning.

ANSWERWords with the same / nearly the same meaning (ticked): swoop, flit, flutter, ascend, float, skim, dart, hover, glide, soar, sail, flap.Words that do not mean to fly: paddle, ride, sink, descend, shoot, spring, stay, fall.

Talk about it

Have you ever been alone or away from home during a thunderstorm? Narrate your experience in a paragraph.

ANSWER(Sample) One evening I was alone at home when a fierce thunderstorm broke out. The sky turned dark, lightning flashed and thunder roared so loudly that the windows rattled. The power went off and I sat in the dark, feeling nervous. To calm myself I lit a candle and called my parents, who reassured me over the phone. Gradually the storm passed, the rain softened, and I felt proud that I had stayed calm on my own. (Narrate your own experience in a short paragraph.)

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. How long had the young seagull been alone on his ledge before he flew?

ANSWERHe had been alone for about twenty-four hours. His brothers and sister had flown away the previous day, and since then nobody had come near him, leaving him hungry and afraid on his ledge.

2. What did the young seagull do to pretend he was not interested in flying?

ANSWERHe stepped to the brink of the ledge, stood on one leg with the other hidden under his wing, closed one eye and then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep – hoping his family would notice him.

3. Where was the narrator flying and why was he happy at the start of the journey?

ANSWERHe was flying his old Dakota over France back to England. He was happy because the sky was clear and starry, he was dreaming of his holiday, and he looked forward to being with his family and eating a big English breakfast.

4. How did the black aeroplane guide the narrator to safety?

ANSWERThe mysterious pilot waved “Follow me”, turned slowly to the north in front of the Dakota, and led the narrator through the storm. He then began to descend, and following him the narrator suddenly came out of the clouds and saw the runway.

5. Why does the seagull’s family praise him at the end of “His First Flight”?

ANSWERThey praise him because he has finally conquered his fear and made his first flight successfully. As he floats, exhausted, on the green sea, his family surrounds him, screams with joy, praises him and offers him scraps of dog-fish.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. Compare how fear is overcome in “His First Flight” and “The Black Aeroplane”.

ANSWERIn both stories the central character faces a paralysing fear that must be overcome to survive. The young seagull is terrified of the great drop below his ledge and refuses to fly until hunger drives him to dive after food; in the act of falling he discovers that his wings can carry him, and his fear instantly disappears. The pilot in “The Black Aeroplane” faces the terror of a storm in which all his instruments fail, but he keeps flying and is guided to safety by a mysterious black aeroplane. In each case, fear is conquered not by avoiding danger but by being forced to act – through hunger for the bird, and through trust and circumstance for the pilot – teaching us that courage often emerges only when we are compelled to take the plunge.

7. The ending of “The Black Aeroplane” is a mystery. Discuss the possible identity of the strange pilot.

ANSWERThe story ends with an unsolved puzzle: a black aeroplane with no lights guides the lost pilot to safety, yet it never appears on the radar and vanishes the moment the runway is in sight. Several explanations are possible. It may have been a guardian angel or a supernatural protector watching over the desperate pilot. Some readers believe it was the narrator’s own subconscious mind and flying instinct, hallucinated under extreme stress, that steered him through the storm. Others see it as a symbol of the unexplained help that sometimes reaches us in our darkest moments. By leaving the question open, the writer turns a flying adventure into a haunting reflection on faith, survival and the mysteries of life.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. Why was the young seagull alone on his ledge?

(a) His family had abandoned him forever (b) His brothers and sister had already flown away (c) He was the only seagull born (d) He had been pushed off

2. What finally made the young seagull fly?

(a) A push from his father (b) A strong wind (c) Hunger for the fish his mother held (d) A loud noise

3. “His First Flight” was written by:

(a) Frederick Forsyth (b) John Berryman (c) Liam O’Flaherty (d) Carolyn Wells

4. On what did the exhausted seagull finally land?

(a) A rock (b) The green sea (c) His ledge (d) A boat

5. What kind of aeroplane was the narrator flying in “The Black Aeroplane”?

(a) A jet fighter (b) An old Dakota (c) A helicopter (d) A glider

6. Why did the narrator decide to fly into the storm instead of turning back?

(a) He had plenty of fuel (b) He wanted to get home for breakfast (c) The control tower ordered him (d) The storm looked harmless

7. Which of the following did NOT fail inside the storm?

(a) The compass (b) The radio (c) The narrator’s will to fly (d) The other instruments

8. What did the strange pilot signal to the narrator?

(a) “Turn back” (b) “Follow me” (c) “Land now” (d) “Climb higher”

9. What did the woman in the control centre tell the narrator?

(a) Many planes were flying (b) His radio was working (c) No other aeroplane was on the radar (d) She had guided him herself

10. The common theme of both stories is:

(a) Greed for money (b) Overcoming fear and finding courage (c) The dangers of the sea (d) Friendship between birds

Answer key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(c), 4-(b), 5-(b), 6-(b), 7-(c), 8-(b), 9-(c), 10-(b).

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): The young seagull finally flew off his ledge.

Reason (R): Hunger maddened him so much that he dived at the fish and discovered his wings could support him.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

2. Assertion (A): The young seagull’s brothers and sister were braver than he was at first.

Reason (R): They had wings far longer and stronger than his own.

ANSWER(c) A is true, but R is false – the text says their wings were shorter than his, yet they still flew first.

3. Assertion (A): The narrator decided to fly straight into the storm clouds.

Reason (R): He did not have enough fuel to fly around the storm and was eager to get home.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

4. Assertion (A): The narrator was unable to find his way during the storm.

Reason (R): His compass, instruments and radio had all failed inside the clouds.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

5. Assertion (A): The narrator could thank the pilot of the black aeroplane in person.

Reason (R): The black aeroplane vanished and never appeared on the control centre’s radar.

ANSWER(d) A is false (he never found the pilot to thank), while R is true.

Exam tips

Score better in this chapter

Keep the two stories separate. Examiners often ask which author wrote which story – remember “His First Flight” is by Liam O’Flaherty and “The Black Aeroplane” is by Frederick Forsyth. For value-based or long answers, link both to the common theme of conquering fear. When writing about the black aeroplane, never state a single fixed identity – mention that it is an unsolved mystery and give a reasoned possibility. Quote short phrases like “monstrous terror” or “Follow me” to support your points, and always write answers in your own words.

FAQs

Who wrote the two stories in Chapter 3 of First Flight?

“His First Flight” was written by Liam O’Flaherty and “The Black Aeroplane” by Frederick Forsyth.

What finally made the young seagull fly?

Hunger. When his mother held a piece of fish just out of reach, the maddened seagull dived at it, fell into space and discovered that his wings could carry him.

Who helped the narrator in “The Black Aeroplane”?

A mysterious black aeroplane with no lights guided him through the storm, but it never showed on the radar and then vanished – so its pilot’s identity remains an unsolved mystery.

Questions are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT First Flight textbook; summaries and answers are written originally by ClearStudy.