EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Two Stories about Flying

The Black Aeroplane: Mystery, Theme and Message

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

In The Black Aeroplane, a pilot flies his old Dakota into a storm because he wants to reach home, loses all instruments and is guided to a safe landing by a mysterious plane with no lights. Control says no other plane was in the sky. The writer never explains it, so the story is about risk, fear and help from an unknown source.

Follow the arrows from risk to rescue, and notice the dashed plane that vanishes: Control saw no other plane, so the writer leaves the pilot's identity open.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand The Mystery of the Black Aeroplane and Its Message

The setting. The narrator is flying his old Dakota over France back to England, at one thirty in the morning. The sky is clear and he is happy, thinking of his holiday, his family and a big English breakfast. Paris Control tells him to turn twelve degrees west and he switches to his second and last fuel tank.

The risk. About 150 kilometres past Paris he sees huge storm clouds that look like black mountains. He cannot fly over them and has too little fuel to go round. He thinks he ought to go back to Paris, but admits he wanted that breakfast, so he flies into the storm. This is a small, selfish wish leading to serious danger.

Inside the storm. Everything goes black, the compass spins, the instruments and radio stop working. He is lost and frightened.

The black aeroplane. Another plane with no lights appears alongside. Its pilot waves, signalling him to follow. The narrator follows 'like an obedient child' for about half an hour. When his fuel is nearly finished, the black plane goes down. He comes out of the clouds, sees a runway and lands.

The mystery. The black plane has vanished. A woman in the control centre tells him no other planes were flying and his was the only one on the radar. The story ends with the question: who was the pilot?

Possible readings. The text does not answer. It could be a guardian-like helper, a ghost, or the narrator's own mind under stress. A board answer should offer one or two readings and say that the writer leaves the choice to the reader.

Theme and message. The story shows (1) that impatience and the wish for comfort can lead to risk, (2) that fear is overcome by staying calm and trusting guidance, and (3) that help may arrive in forms we cannot explain. Compare this with the seagull in the first story: both characters are pushed through fear to safety.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

I wanted that breakfast.
Narrator: Explaining why he flew into the storm instead of returning to Paris.
Shows how a small wish led to a serious risk.
I was very happy to go behind the strange aeroplane like an obedient child.
Narrator: After his instruments fail in the storm.
Shows his helplessness and trust in the unknown guide.
No other aeroplanes were flying tonight.
Woman in the control centre: Her reply when he asks about the other pilot.
Creates the mystery and the open ending.

The Mystery of the Black Aeroplane and Its Message: key facts

Sequence of events: Clear night over France
Storm clouds like black mountains
Flies in for the breakfast
Instruments die
Black plane guides him
Lands safely
Plane has vanished; Use it for the summary of the story.
Three themes: Risk from impatience
Courage and trust in danger
Help from the unexplained; Choose two for a 40-50 word answer.
Possible explanations: A guardian-like helper
A ghost
The pilot's imagination under stress
The text gives no answer; Always say the writer leaves it open.
Contrast with His First Flight: Seagull pushed by hunger
Pilot guided by a stranger
Both fear is overcome and safety follows; For comparison questions across the two stories.

Seagull	pushed by hunger
Pilot	guided by a stranger
Both	fear is overcome and safety follows

How to answer The Mystery of the Black Aeroplane and Its Message questions

Use this for questions on the mystery, the message or the narrator's decision.

1State the situation: a pilot, a storm, instruments dead, little fuel.
2Give the key event: a plane without lights leads him to the runway.
3State the twist: control says no other plane was in the sky.
4Offer one or two possible readings and say the story does not decide.
5End with the message about risk, courage or unexpected help.

The Mystery of the Black Aeroplane and Its Message in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

A hurried decision

Suppose a boy sees dark clouds but still cycles to a friend's house to reach in time for his favourite snack, ignoring his mother's advice to wait. He is soaked and lost in heavy rain until a stranger on a scooter shows him the way.

Which two ideas from the story does this repeat?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

A small wish (the snack) leads to a risk, like the breakfast.
A stranger guides him safely, like the black aeroplane.

Answer: It repeats the story's lessons on hurried risk and on help from an unexpected source.

Memory hook: Hurry brings risk; strangers sometimes bring help.

Tricks to remember The Mystery of the Black Aeroplane and Its Message

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

B-S-B-V
Breakfast, Storm, Black plane, Vanished.
Use it when: The order of events in one line.
Only one on the radar
His plane alone was on the radar.
Use it when: The twist that creates the mystery.
Hurry-Hope-Help
Hurry causes risk, hope keeps him calm, help arrives.
Use it when: A tag for theme questions.

The Mystery of the Black Aeroplane and Its Message: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Why did he fly on? · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Why did the narrator decide to fly into the storm?
(a) Control ordered him (b) He wanted to reach home and have breakfast (c) He had no fuel to return (d) He saw another plane

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

He knew he ought to go back, but he wanted to reach home and have his breakfast (1 mark).

Answer: (b)

Example 2: Instruments fail · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

What happened to the narrator's aeroplane inside the storm? Answer in 30-40 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Everything turned black and the compass spun (1).
The other instruments and the radio stopped working (1).

Answer: Inside the storm everything was suddenly black. The compass began to spin and the other instruments stopped working. The radio went dead too, so he could not tell where he was, and he felt lost.

Example 3: Why follow a stranger? · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Why does the narrator follow the black aeroplane without questioning? Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

He is helpless: no instruments, no radio (1).
The pilot signals him to follow (1).
He trusts the guide out of need (1).

Answer: The narrator is helpless, since the compass, instruments and radio have all failed and fuel is running low. The pilot of the other plane waves and signals him to follow. With no other way out, he trusts the stranger gladly and goes behind the plane like an obedient child.

Example 4: The open ending · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Why does the story end with a question about the pilot? Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Control says no plane was flying (1).
The writer gives no explanation (1).
It leaves the reader curious (1).

Answer: After the landing, the woman in the control centre says no other plane was flying, and the black plane has gone. The writer does not explain this. The closing question leaves the reader to guess whether the helper was real, supernatural or imagined.

Example 5: Lesson of the story · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

What does the story teach about risk and help? Support your answer with details in 100-120 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Risk: breakfast and the storm (2).
Help: black plane and guidance (2).
Mystery and message (1).
Expression (1).

Answer: The story shows how a small wish can lead to a big risk and how help can come from an unexpected place. The narrator knows he ought to return to Paris, but because he wants to get home for his breakfast, he flies into a terrifying storm and loses his instruments and radio. At the point of total helplessness, a black plane with no lights appears and guides him to a runway just as his fuel runs out. Afterwards, control says no such plane was in the sky. The writer leaves this unexplained. The message is double: do not let impatience cloud your judgement, and in a crisis stay calm and trust whatever guidance appears.

Where students lose marks in The Mystery of the Black Aeroplane and Its Message

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Explaining the mystery as a fact
The writer does not say who the pilot was.
Wrong working
The black aeroplane was a ghost.
Right working
It might be a guardian, a ghost or imagination; the writer does not say.
Do this: Use 'may' and give two readings.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks.
Mistake: Forgetting why the narrator took the risk
The cause of the danger is part of the message.
Wrong working
He had to fly into the storm because there was no fuel to turn back.
Right working
He thought he ought to return, but he wanted to reach home and have breakfast.
Do this: Quote I wanted that breakfast.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks.
Mistake: Mixing the two stories
Details belong to separate stories.
Wrong working
The pilot ran back to his hole under the ledge.
Right working
That is the seagull in His First Flight; the pilot flies a Dakota.
Do this: Name the story before the detail.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Retelling instead of explaining the theme
Theme questions want the lesson.
Wrong working
The pilot flew from Paris, met a storm, followed a plane and landed.
Right working
The story shows that impatience brings risk and that help can come unexpectedly.
Do this: Finish with a message sentence.
Usually costs: 2 of 6 marks.

Exam tips

Name the story and the pilot's situation in the first line.
Use B-S-B-V to keep events in order.
Give two readings of the mystery and say the writer does not decide.
Quote I wanted that breakfast when you discuss the narrator's choice.
End with a message sentence about risk or trust.

Practice questions on The Mystery of the Black Aeroplane and Its Message

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
How far past Paris did the narrator see the storm clouds?
(a) About 15 kilometres (b) About 50 kilometres (c) About 150 kilometres (d) About 500 kilometres
Hint
Recall the distance past Paris.
Answer
(c)
Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
What did the control centre reply when the narrator asked about the other pilot? Answer in 30-40 words.
Hint
Only his plane was on the radar.
Answer
The woman in the control centre looked at him strangely and laughed. She said no other aeroplanes were flying that night and his was the only one on her radar, which left him puzzled about his guide.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How does the weather change the mood of the story? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Clear night against black storm.
Answer
The story begins with a clear night, moon, stars and a sleeping countryside, so the mood is calm and happy. When the storm clouds appear like black mountains, everything turns black and fearful. The contrast builds suspense and makes the danger feel more shocking, just before the mystery of the black aeroplane.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Compare how the seagull and the pilot overcome their fear. Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Push from hunger; guide from a stranger.
Answer
The seagull overcomes his fear because hunger makes him dive at the fish his mother holds out. The pilot overcomes his fear by trusting and following the guiding plane. In both stories, an outside push or guide helps the character act despite fear.
Q5 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Some readers say the black aeroplane was the narrator's imagination, others say it was real. Which reading do you find more convincing? Give reasons in 100-120 words.
Hint
Use evidence for both readings and make your choice clear.
Answer
I find the imagination reading more convincing. Evidence for a real plane is that it waves, signals and leads him to a runway, and he lands safely. However, the control woman says no other aeroplanes were flying and his was the only one on the radar. The black plane also has no lights and disappears at once. A real plane would explain the guidance, but not the empty radar. Since all instruments had failed and the narrator was under great stress, his mind may have created a guide. Yet because the writer leaves the question open, the story is about trust and hope, whatever the pilot's nature.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Which aeroplane does the narrator fly?Show answer
An old Dakota.
2.Where was he flying back to?Show answer
England, from France.
3.What did the storm clouds look like?Show answer
Black mountains standing across the sky.
4.How did the black plane guide him?Show answer
The pilot waved, signalling him to follow, and led him to a runway.
5.What did the woman in the control centre say?Show answer
No other aeroplanes were flying; only his was on the radar.
6.What is the story's final line about?Show answer
A question asking who the pilot of the strange black aeroplane was.

The Mystery of the Black Aeroplane and Its Message: frequently asked questions

Who was the pilot of the black aeroplane?

The writer does not say. Readers can read it as a guardian-like helper, a ghost or the narrator's own mind.

Why did the narrator fly into the storm?

He wanted to get home to his family and have breakfast, though he knew he ought to go back to Paris.

What is the message of The Black Aeroplane?

Impatience brings risk, calm and trust help in danger, and help may come in unexpected forms.

How is the story told?

In the first person, so we share the narrator's fear, relief and confusion.