Two Stories About Flying - The Black Aeroplane - Short Answers

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Two Stories About Flying - The Black Aeroplane - Short Answers

1. Why was Frederick Forsyth happy to be alone in the sky?

The writer was happy to fly at night because he was returning to England in his old Dakota aeroplane, looking forward to his holiday and reuniting with his family. The clear sky and shining stars made him feel content as he flew over the peaceful countryside.

2. What did he see When he turned his Dakota twelve degree west towards England?

When he turned his Dakota twelve degree west towards England, he saw the clouds. It was storm clouds. They were so huge that they appeared like black mountains standing in front of him across the sky.

3. “I will take the risk”. Why did he decide to take the risk?

He decided to take the risk because, there was a strong urge in him to get back home with his family and to have that big English breakfast. Moreover, he could neither fly up, over them nor had he enough fuel to fly around them to the north or south.

4. What were the two options the pilot thought of when he encountered the storm clouds? Which one did he opt? Why?

The two options the pilot thought of when he encountered the storm clouds were going back to Paris or taking the risk and flying into the storm. He opted for the latter because he wanted to reach home and did not want to delay his journey.

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

The narrator says "I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota" because he was relieved to have safely landed at an airport after facing the terrifying experience of flying through the storm clouds.

6. What do you think helped the narrator to reach safely?

I think, it could be his own motivation to survive and self-confidence. Sometimes our confidence manifests in different forms. It could have taken the form of a black aeroplane for him. 

7. Describe his experience of the narrator as he flew the aeroplane in to the storm clouds?

The narrator's experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm clouds was terrifying. Everything became black, and he couldn't see anything outside the aeroplane. The compass and other instruments stopped working, and the aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air.

8. What made the pilot think of going back to Paris?

The pilot thought of going back to Paris because he saw the storm clouds ahead and knew it would be risky to continue flying into them.

9. How did the black aeroplane help the narrator come out of the storm clouds?

The black aeroplane helped the narrator come out of the storm clouds by flying in front of him and guiding him through the clouds until they reached a runway at an airport.

10. What surprise did the lady in the control room give to the narrator?

The narrator landed safely and went to the control room and enquired about the other pilot who flew the black aeroplane in the same night. The surprise the lady in the control room gave to the narrator was that there were no other aeroplanes flying that night, so there shouldn't have been another aeroplane helping him through the storm.

11. How did the author safely emerge from the black clouds?

The author bravely flew into the black clouds, where his instruments failed, and he lost all sense of direction. Suddenly, a black plane appeared and guided him through the storm until he saw lights indicating a runway. Following the black plane's lead, he landed safely, escaping the danger of the storm.

12. How was the black aeroplane a mystery throughout the story?

The black aeroplane remained a mystery as it appeared suddenly in the storm clouds to guide the writer, but vanished after leading him to safety. Despite efforts to find out more about the other pilot, including inquiries at the control center, their identity remained unknown.

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