This chapter contains two short stories: "His First Flight" by Liam O'Flaherty and "Black Aeroplane" by Frederick Forsyth.
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Part I: His First Flight (Liam O'Flaherty)
Introduction
"His First Flight" is a story about a young seagull who is afraid to fly. All his siblings have already learned to fly, but he is too frightened to take the leap from his cliff ledge. Through the wisdom of hunger — and his mother's encouragement — he finally learns to fly. The story is a powerful allegory for overcoming fear and self-doubt.
Key Concepts
Fear vs. Courage: The young seagull's terror is so intense that even starvation cannot at first compel him to fly. His fear is psychological, not physical.
Role of Parents: His family tries various methods — calling, scolding, ignoring — to push him into flight. His mother uses the device of hunger to motivate him.
Instinct: The moment the young seagull dives toward the fish his mother holds, his wings naturally spread open and he soars. Instinct takes over when reason fails.
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Plot with Examples
Example 1: The Young Seagull's Fear
The young seagull stands alone on the ledge while his brothers and sister soar in the sky. He tries to summon courage to leap but always retreats. The expanse of sea below terrifies him — it seems it would swallow him whole.
Example 2: Family's Attempts
His parents fly around him, scolding and calling. His siblings taunt him. The family even tries to starve him into making the attempt by refusing to bring him food.
Example 3: The Temptation
After a day of starvation, the young seagull watches his mother tear at a piece of fish on a ledge nearby. Maddened by hunger, he begs her to bring it to him. She picks it up and flies tantalizingly close to him, then holds still — just out of reach.
Example 4: The Leap and Flight
Desperate with hunger, the young seagull dives toward the fish. For a moment he is afraid — then his wings spread wide, and he is flying. The wind rushes under his wings and he glides naturally over the sea.
Example 5: Celebration
His family joins him in the air, screaming with joy and pecking at him affectionately. Below him, his parents float on the water. He lands on the sea, which no longer frightens him. His first flight is complete.
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Part II: Black Aeroplane (Frederick Forsyth)
Introduction
"Black Aeroplane" is a mystery story narrated in the first person. A pilot is flying from France to England, eager to reach home for a holiday breakfast with his family. Suddenly, he finds himself trapped in a massive storm. A mysterious black aeroplane appears and guides him safely through. When he asks the woman in the control room about the plane, she says no other aircraft was in the sky at that time.
Key Concepts
Mystery: The identity of the black aeroplane pilot is never revealed. The story plays with ideas of faith, the supernatural, and the limits of rational explanation.
Dream vs. Reality: The narrator describes the night sky as "like a dream" — foreshadowing the dreamlike, inexplicable events that follow.
Narrator's Trust: He follows the black aeroplane without question, trusting the stranger entirely. This surrender of control is essential to his survival.
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Example 6: Inside the Storm
The narrator flies into massive storm clouds, his instruments fail, and he has only enough fuel for 5-6 minutes. He is lost above the clouds, unable to communicate with control.
Example 7: The Mysterious Rescue
A black aeroplane with no lights appears beside him. The pilot signals him to follow. The narrator trusts him completely. The mystery pilot guides him through the clouds until the runway lights of an English airport appear below. When the narrator looks back, the black aeroplane has vanished. The woman at the control room confirms: no other plane was recorded in the sky that night.
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Common mistakes
> Do not confuse the two stories. "His First Flight" is about a seagull overcoming fear; "Black Aeroplane" is a mystery/supernatural story. Both deal with flying but have very different tones and themes. The question "Who saved the narrator?" has no definitive answer — that ambiguity is the point of the second story.
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Summary
Both stories use flight as a central metaphor. "His First Flight" teaches that fear can only be overcome by action — often triggered by necessity. "Black Aeroplane" raises questions about faith, the unknown, and the limits of rational thought. Together, they present two dimensions of the flying experience: the personal conquest of fear and the mysterious, unexplainable aspects of life.