Class 10 English Chapter 1 Question Answers - First Flight

The  Class 10 English chapter "Two Stories about Flying" is split into two parts. In the second part titled "Black Aeroplane", the writer narrates the story about a student who is returning back to England on a flight. The story describes the events that happen on the way and his narrow escape from death with the help of a mysterious Aeroplane. Here are a few Long Answer Questions based on this section. 

Q 1. The narrator made every possible endeavour to save himself. He did not lose hope in dire situations. What values helped him endure the critical situation bravely? Discuss in 100-120 words.
Or
The narrator knew that he could not fly up due to storm and lack of fuel but still, he continued. What kind of person was he? Was it not in his nature to accept defeat? Discuss the values one should possess to accept failures to be able to move ahead in life in 100-120 words.

The author’s plane did not have enough fuel. He knew that because of the paucity of fuel, he could not fly up and over the clouds nor he could fly around them to the north or south. But then he decided to take the risk to enter his plane in the clouds because he wanted to go home and wanted to join his family at breakfast. This shows that he was a family-loving person. He was courageous as he knew that it would be risky to enter the clouds, but he did so in order to save his fuel.

Q 2. Your friend was the pilot who was flying from Paris to England when he was lost in the storm clouds. Narrate his experience to your family and tell them how he was rescued by a strange black plane and its pilot.

Last week, my friend, who is a pilot had a mysterious experience. During his flight from Paris to England, he was lost in the storm clouds. His compass, radio and other instruments had gone dead. He did not know which direction to go. He was lost and panicked (too much frightened).Then, he saw a strange black aeroplane without lights on its wings, flying near his plane. Its pilot lifted one hand, waved and signalled my friend to follow him. He guided my friend through the storm clouds and helped him land safely when my friend looked back to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane, he found neither the pilot nor the aeroplane.When he asked the control about the strange black plane and its pilot. The reply was, no other plane was seen on the radar except his Dakota. Then who rescued him? There was no answer. It was a mystery.

Q 3. "Everything was going well. It was an easy flight." What went wrong suddenly?
Or
Describe the flight of the Dakota aeroplane until it landed safely at the airport.

The flight of old Dakota started in Paris and headed towards England. It was an easy flight, the sky was clear and the weather fine. When it reached 150 km away from Paris, it suddenly confronted huge black storm clouds. He had limited fuel only to take him to England. He could go back to Paris but he decided to take the risk and go through the storm clouds because he wanted to spend the holiday with his family. In the storm clouds, it was pitch day. His compass, radio and some other instruments stopped working. He could not contact the Paris control room to know the direction. Suddenly he saw a black aeroplane. Its pilot guided and brought him safely out of storm clouds. He saw the runway and landed at the airport.

Q 4. The author asks a question at the end, “Who was the pilot on the strange black aeroplane?” Try to answer this question.

'The Black Aeroplane' is an interesting story. The writer is a pilot. One day, he was returning from France in his Dakota aeroplane. He was going to England. Suddenly, he saw huge storm clouds on his way. He had not much fuel in his plane. So he could not fly around the clouds. He took a risk and entered the clouds.His compass and other instruments failed. His radio also went out of order. The writer’s life was in danger. Suddenly, he saw a black aeroplane near him. The pilot of the plane gestured him to follow him. The writer followed him and landed his plane safely. But when he looked back, he did not find the black aeroplane anywhere. The woman at the control tower told him that there had been no other plane that night. Then who saved the writer’s life? Who was the pilot of the black aeroplane? The writer had no answer to these questions. Thus it is a mysterious story.

Q 5. Describe the flight of the pilot before he encountered dark clouds.
Or
Describe the flight of the Dakota aeroplane until it landed safely at the airport.

The writer of this story is a pilot. One night he was flying his old Dakota aeroplane over France. It was a starry night. He was going to England. He hoped to spend his holiday with his family. It was an easy journey and he was in a joyful mood. He looked at his watch. It was one-thirty in the morning. Through his wireless, he contacted Paris Control. They told him to turn twelve degrees west. He did as he was advised to do. He was 150 kilometres from Paris. Suddenly the writer saw huge black clouds before him. It was not possible to fly up and over the clouds. He had not much fuel with him. So it was not possible to fly around the big mountains of clouds to the right or left. He decided to take the risk and flew his aeroplane straight into the clouds.

Q 6. How was the writer rescued?

The writer flew his plane into the big dark clouds. As he entered the clouds, everything suddenly went black. He found that his compass had ceased to work. He tried to contact the Paris Control for directions. But he was shocked to find that his radio had also stopped working. Suddenly, the writer saw a black aeroplane near him. He could also sec the pilot in it. The pilot waved the writer to follow him. He followed the black aeroplane like an obedient child. Now it was half an hour since the writer had been following, the black aeroplane. He was worried because the fuel in his plane could last only five or ten minutes. But just’ then the black aeroplane started to go down and the writer followed it. Suddenly the writer was out of the doods. He could see the lights on the runway of the airport. The writer landed his Dakota aeroplane. In this, may, he was rescued.

Q 7. Why and when did the narrator say that ‘everything was going well, it was an easy flight’?

After the old Dakota left Paris 150 kilometres behind, it enjoyed smooth sailing in the air. Everything was going well. The narrator was enjoying rather an easy flight. The moon was coming up in the east and stars were shining in the clear sky. The aeroplane was flying up above the sleeping countryside. It was flying over France back to England. The narrator was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family. He contacted Paris control. He was asked to turn 12 degrees west. He looked at his watch. It was only thirty in the morning. It was only after he had left Paris 150 kilometres behind when he faced the terrible storm clouds. Before this, it was really an enjoyable and safe journey.

Q 8. 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? Give a reasoned answer.

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 kilometres 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 and 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 having an early English 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 aeroplane not helped him to safety.

Q 9. Describe the appearance of the strange black aeroplane in the most hopeless situation. How did the pilot of the black aeroplane help the narrator to come out of the storm clouds and land safely?

The narrator was really in deep trouble. The huge mountains of black clouds were around him. The old Dakota aeroplane was jumping and twisting in the air. His compass was dead. The other instruments were dead too. Nothing worked for him. Even his efforts to contact Paris control failed. The radio was dead too. In such a hopeless situation, the sudden appearance of a mysterious black aeroplane was like God’s sent help for him. There were no lights on the wings of that black aeroplane. The narrator could see the pilot’s face. He was saying “Follow me”. The narrator was totally lost. He thought that the pilot was trying to help him. So he followed the black aeroplane like an obedient child. He was frightened as he had fuel enough to last for five or ten minutes. Suddenly, he came out of the clouds. He saw two long straight lines of lights in front of him. It was a runway. “An airport!” he cried. He was out of danger and could land safely. He turned to look for his rescuer in the black aeroplane, but the sky was empty.

Q 10. Who was the rescuer in the strange black aeroplane? Did the lady in the control room help the narrator in knowing anything about the man who helped him to land safely?

Who saved the narrator when he had lost all contacts on the radio with Paris control? Who was the pilot of the black aeroplane who helped the narrator to land safely without a compass, without the radio and without much fuel? These questions remained unsolved puzzles. Even the lady in the control room couldn’t detect any other plane on the stormy night other than the old Dakota on the radar. The mysterious pilot of the black aeroplane was like God’s help sent to the narrator to land safely. The narrator was in real trouble before the mysterious black aeroplane appeared near him. He was lost among the mountains of black clouds in front of him. To make things worse his compass became dead. The other instruments became dead too. He couldn’t contact Paris control as the radio was dead too. God knows what would have been his condition, had the pilot of the black aeroplane not guided him out of storm clouds to safety.

Also Check at EduRev: 

• NCERT Solutions: Two Stories about Flying
• Character Sketch: Two Stories about Flying