Learning to Fly - I already know, but ...

I've been have some doubts about the high quality and difficult vocabulary presented on the Learning to Fly Lyrics, and I am asking you, native americans and people that know a lot of English to help me out with some expressions of the english language, to help me understand the entire song, not only the translation, but the real information in each sentence, the emotional thing.

I am a 777-200 pilot, its a Big Big jet, and I fly for VARIG airlines, Brazil. Well, I hope you can help me out.

I will mention the sentences that I didn't understand the emotional information, maybe you could help me out.

1) Into the Distance, a ribbon of black

Question - "a ribbon of black" would that be the aircraft in the beggining of the clip? What is the definition of ribbon that Pink Floyd wanted us to have? "Into the Distance" , it seems ridiculous, but I didn't get that even... Into the Distance means that its close so we can see it?

2) Stretched to the point, of no turning back

Question - Means that the "ribbon", the aircraft on the beginning fof the clip is coming closer and closer and it's not going to come back, so the ribbon gets larger and larger, the aircraft coming closer? Is the aircraft the stretched ribbon?

3) Standing alone, my senses reeled

Question - Means that the guy on the windswept field got confused? His senses went reel? Is that it?

4) grasp

Question - something that is calling my attention and I really need to do it? To grasp the chance to fly? Is that the emotional information?

5) Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies

Question - Can't keep my eyes means that I don't want and I can't take my eyes out of the horizon, like there is no way for me to stop looking for the circling skies? How come circling skies if we fly leveled? Whats the information Pink Floyd wanted us to understand here?

6) Tongue-tied and twisted Just an earth-bound misfit, I

Question - Well, I just couldn't understand one world in this sentence... I know the individual meanings, but the sentence remains a mystery to me... anyone?

7) Unheeded warnings

Question - Warnings that actually happened but I didn't give any attention to it? "I thought I tought of everything" , what does that means?

8) Unladened, empty and turned into stone

Question - FIrst of all, whats the meaning of the word unladened? what has become empty and turned into stone? At this moment the guy on the clip stays near the cliff and takes his jacked off... what does that means?

9) Condition grounded, but determined to try

Question - Means that the pilot just don't have what it takes to fly, so he is learning, grounded untill he learns it all?

10) Grubby halo

Question - The smoke that leaves the engines? Is that the grubby halo?

11) Out of the corner of my watering eye

Question - Means that he is crying? what should I understand as "out of the corner" of the watering ( crying eye? ) eye?

12) A dream unthreatened by the morning light

Question - A dream that I don't have to fear because of the morning light?

13) Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night

Question - No idea....

Well fellas, maybe someway you will understand me and help me out with the literall and emotional translation.

last question and the on that is really a mystery... whats the reason of that guy that appears on the beginning of the clip, wearing black clothes and a black hat? What does he means to the song and to the dream of flying?

Well, thanks a lot, please answer me the respective question numbers, as you can see above.