Part II: The Black Aeroplane by Frederick Forsyth
Summary
A pilot flies his Dakota aircraft through a clear night sky toward England. Suddenly, he encounters a storm, and all his instruments fail. In the darkness, a mysterious black aeroplane appears and guides him to safety. After landing, the control tower informs him that no other plane was visible on radar.
Themes
- Mystery and the unknown
- Trust and survival
- Supernatural intervention
Vocabulary
- Compass – an instrument for direction
- Obedient – willing to follow
- Radar – a system to detect aircraft
Comprehension Questions with Answers
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“I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
The risk was flying into storm clouds without enough fuel to go around them. He took the risk because he wanted to get home and have breakfast with his family.
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Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
Inside the storm, everything was black. His instruments and radio stopped working, and he couldn’t see. He was completely lost and frightened.
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Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…”?
After such a dangerous and frightening experience, he was relieved and grateful to be safe. Walking away from the plane was a sign of survival.
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What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?
She was confused because the narrator mentioned another plane helping him, but she saw no other aircraft on the radar that night.
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Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely?
The story suggests a mysterious or supernatural helper. It could have been a guardian angel, a hallucination, or a symbolic figure guiding him through fear and danger.
