Two Stories about Flying - 2 Summary Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 3

Key Points of Story I: His First Flight (by Liam O’Flaherty)

• A young seagull was afraid to fly, while his siblings had already learned and were flying confidently.

• He was full of pessimism and lacked the courage to attempt his first flight, despite encouragement from his family.

• His parents and other family members urged him to fly, but he remained hesitant.

• After some time, the family left him alone for 24 hours without food to motivate him.

• Growing very hungry and desperate, he begged his mother for food.

• His mother cleverly distracted him by bringing fish close but not feeding him, trying to divert his attention from fear to hunger.

• Driven by hunger, the young seagull finally dove toward the food.

• Terrified at first, he cried and screamed, but his wings instinctively opened and flapped, allowing him to fly.

• Though initially scared, he soon felt the excitement and freedom of flying.

• He successfully landed on the sea and was warmly praised by his family.

• In the end, he overcame his fear and joined his family on his very first flight.

Theme: Conquering fear through necessity and instinct.

Detailed Summary of His First Flight

“His First Flight” is an inspiring story written by Liam O’Flaherty about a young seagull who is afraid to take his first flight. He fears that his wings are too weak to support him, while all his siblings, despite having shorter wings, fly confidently in the open sky. Unlike them, the young seagull lacks the courage and does not trust his own abilities.

Whenever he tries to move toward the edge of the cliff to take the leap, fear overcomes him and he retreats. His parents constantly scold and threaten him, warning that if he doesn’t learn to fly, he would have to starve alone on the ledge. However, their efforts prove useless, as the young bird only watches helplessly while his family teaches his siblings how to skim the waves and catch fish.

One day, the entire family flies to a large plateau and mocks the young seagull for being cowardly. The blazing sun and hunger make him more desperate. Having starved since the previous night, he pleads with his mother to bring him food. Seeing his distress, his mother quickly grabs a piece of fish and flies toward him. Overcome with joy, the young bird stretches out eagerly and jumps at the food.

In that instant, he finds himself falling through the air, gripped by fear. But before he crashes, his wings instinctively spread wide, and he discovers that he can fly. Filled with excitement and relief, he takes his first flight and soon flies higher, skimming through waves and diving for fish with his siblings.

This story beautifully teaches us that courage comes from action. By facing his fear, the young seagull realizes his strength and finally experiences the joy of flying freely.

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. 

Key Points of Story II: The Black Aeroplane (by Frederick Forsyth)

Theme: Mysterious help in moments of crisis; possible supernatural intervention or hallucination.

Detailed Summary of Black Aeroplane

"Black Aeroplane” is an exciting and mysterious story written by Fredrik Forsyth. It revolves around the experience of a pilot who faces an unusual and frightening situation during one of his flights.

The narrator, a pilot, wishes to return to England to spend time with his family and enjoy a wholesome breakfast with them. For this, he flies a Dakota DS-088 from France to England at night. After covering about 150 kilometers, he suddenly encounters thick storm clouds that look like dark mountains blocking his way. Confused and unsure whether to turn back or continue, he decides to fly through the clouds.

As he enters the storm, everything around him becomes pitch-black. He can no longer see anything outside the aircraft. The clouds appear threatening, and soon, the compass and radio stop working. Helpless and scared, the pilot struggles to find his way. At this moment, he notices another black aeroplane flying alongside his own. It has no lights on its wings. The pilot of the mysterious plane waves his hand and signals him to follow.

Feeling like a child trusting his guardian, the narrator follows the black plane. As the fuel in his second tank drops to only 5–10 minutes' worth, fear begins to grip him. However, he continues following the other aircraft until they finally emerge from the storm. He then sees the lights of a runway and safely lands his plane.

After landing, he searches for the other plane and its pilot but finds nothing. He then approaches a woman in the control center to thank the mysterious pilot for saving his life. Shockingly, she tells him that there was no other aircraft in the sky that night except his own. The pilot is left wondering if the black aeroplane was a trick of his imagination or if something unexplainable had occurred.

The story ends on an uncertain note, leaving the reader to ponder the mystery.

Message from the Story

• The stories "His First Flight" and "The Black Aeroplane" both convey a powerful message about courage, self-belief, and the importance of taking the first step despite fear or uncertainty. 
• In the first story, the young seagull overcomes his fear of flying only when driven by hunger, showing that growth often begins with discomfort and is achieved through action. 
• In the second story, the pilot, lost in a dangerous storm, is mysteriously guided to safety by an unknown plane, suggesting that help can come when least expected and that faith and instinct play a vital role in survival. Together, the stories highlight that facing fear and trusting oneself or unseen forces can lead to discovery, growth, and success.

Glossary