Under the Hood

The rear cockpit of a yellow biplane trainer at dawn, closed over by a dark fabric hood, in the half-light a wooden instrument panel, at its upper left a gyroscopic horizon instrument in black crinkle lacquer with a square flange and four slotted screws, behind its round glass a face divided at a slant into pale blue above and black below, before it a T-shaped bar with a small white outline of an aircraft, white triangular marks at the sides, a plain matt black ring around the glass, other round instruments with blank faces and plain marks, a gloved hand on the stick, pale fog light through a gap in the hood.