Going Solo- a story from Roald Dahl's life
by Roald Dahl (Roots)
Comprehension
Read and answer
1. Match the things on the left with the words used in the lesson to describe them.
=
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a. The Tiger Moth |
Formidable. [b] |
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b. An RAF Pilot’s Log Book |
Proficient. [e] |
|
c. Wilson Airways |
Efficient and acrobatic. [a] |
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d. The experience of flying. |
Grand. [d] |
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e. The narrator’s instructors. |
Domestic. [c] |
2. List the good and bad aspects of flying an airplane solo according to the narrator.
= According to the narrator, the good aspects of flying an airplane solo are -
❐ He was allowed to go up alone for much of the time and it was wonderful.
❐ He was lucky enough to be allowed to go whizzing and soaring through the sky above a country as beautiful as Kenya.
❐ The aeroplane and the petrol were free.
❐ He flew low in his little Tiger Moth to look at the wild animals.
❐ He could enjoy the jovial natural beauty of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru and Mount Kenya from the sky being in his trusty little Tiger Moth.
According to the narrator, bad aspects of flying an airplane solo are -
❐ He had a strict lifestyle. He had to wake up at 5:30 am, drill before breakfast till 7 am, attend lectures time to time in the middle of flying.
❐ There were no one to do everything for him.
❐ He had to get his own food, wash his own knives and forks, fold up his own clothes, and do everything for himself.
❐ He could not say much to his mother in letter because the letter would probably be torn up by the censor for doing so.
Reference to context
3. "Everyone who has ever flown a Tiger Moth has fallen in love with it."
a. Who said this about the Tiger Moth planes?
= The narrator (Roald Dahl) said this about the Tiger Moth planes.
b. What made everyone fall in love with it according to the speaker?
= According to the speaker, everyone fall in love with it because of the following reasons -
❐ It is a totally efficient and very acrobatic little plane.
❐ It is powered by a Gypsy engine which has never been known to fail in mid-air.
❐ It can be thrown about all over the air and nothing ever breaks.
❐ It can be glided upside down hanging in one's straps for minutes on end.
c. Why were these planes chosen to train new pilots?
= These planes were chosen to train new pilots because of its efficient and acrobatic features. It has a strong engine. One could throw a Tiger Moth about all over the air and nothing ever broke. One could glide it upside down hanging in your straps for minutes on end, and although the engine cut out when you did that because the carburettor was also upside down, the motor started again at once when one turned her right way up again.
One could spin her vertically downwards for thousands of feet and then all she needed was a touch on the rudder, a bit of throttle and the stick pushed forward and out she came in a couple of flips.
4. "An RAF Pilot's Log Book by the way, is, or certainly was in those days quite a formidable affair... You never lost your Log Book.:
a. Why was the pilot's Log Book a 'formidable affair'?
= The pilot's Log Book was a 'formidable affair' because it is a valuable evidence of the life of a solo pilot.
b. What did it have records of?
= It contained a record of every flight one had ever made as well as the plane one was flying, the purpose and destination of the trip and the time one had spent in the air.
c. The narrator's log book said that he 'went solo after 7 hours 40 minutes'. Is that a good record?
= The narrator's log book said that he 'went solo after 7 hours 40 minutes'. That is an about average record.
5. "My rank - a Leading Aircraftman, with every opportunity of becoming a pilot officer in a few months if I don't make a B.F. of myself."
a. Who are these lines addressed to?
= These lines are addressed to the mother of the narrator.
b. What does 'B.F.'. mean in these lines? Can you guess?
= I guess 'B.F.' means 'Big Fool' in these lines.
c. What is the narrator's tone in these lines?
= The narrator is very ambitious to be a Aircraftman. He is all ready to grab the forth-coming opportunities. He doesn't want to make any mistake and lose the chance to become a pilot officer within few months.
Reflect and answer
6. What do you think the narrator wanted to do through his description of the Tiger Moth - entertain, inform or inspire you? What makes you say that?
= I think the narrator wanted to entertain, inform and inspire us by sharing his thrills about the Tiger Moth.
He is all fascinated with the efficient acrobatic little plane. He mentioned the special Gypsy engine in it. The Gypsy engine does not fail in mid-air. The various types of flights of this special plane, definitely makes us inquisitive towards it. We can gather a lot of information about this plane from the narrator's description. The narrator's first experience of flying a Tiger Moth, makes us thrilled. It is all a combination of entertainment, information and inspiration to know about the Tiger Moth.
7. "How many young men, I kept asking myself, were lucky enough to be allowed to go whizzing and soaring through the sky above a country as beautiful as Kenya?"
What do these lines tell us about the kind of person the narrator is?
= After the narrator had gone solo, he was allowed to go up alone for much of the time and it was wonderful. He considered himself lucky enough to get the opportunity to be allowed to go whizzing and soaring through the sky above a country like Kenya. He is all thrilled to see all the wild animals from the sky. He is very ambitious to be a pilot officer. He is working hard and does not want to make a mistake to accomplish his goal.
8. Explain the main idea of the lesson in your own words.
= Roald Dahl served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and eventually rose to the rank of a wing commander towards the end of his flying career. He has taken inspiration from his life and the people he met. He has immense nostalgia regarding his past life being a wing commander. He has manifested his past life. He has given instance of his solo flying of the Tiger Moth and depicted the little plane.
He has mentioned about the Tiger Moth, RAF Pilot's Log Book, Wilson Airways and lived his nostalgia. He mentioned the Great Rift Valley, Nairobi, Lake Nakuru and Mount Kenya with his ample writing skill. He describes all the wild animals. He described the spotted leopard to his artistic excel. He added his letter to his mother to share his experience at the time of being a pilot officer. His idea is to take the readers down his memory lane of those days of hard word, aspiration and thrill.
About the Author
Roald Dahl (1916 - 1990), born in Wales, was a British writer and fighter pilot, highly celebrated for his children's classics. Dahl served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and eventually rose to the rank of a wing commander towards the end of his flying career. Taking inspiration form his life and the people he met, he soon began writing stories for children that were rich in fantasy and humour. His popular works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, The BGF and Matilda, some of which have been adapted into movies.