Chinese pilot Zhang Bo and his 5-strong crew have begun a round-the-world flight from Beijing. The first ever flight of its kind for China is expected to last around two months and cover 40,000 kilometers.

The aircraft will fly north, over the Arctic Circle and then over Europe, before following the Ancient Silk Road trade route back to China. There will be 50 stops in more than 20 countries on the journey. The flight is not just about adventure, it's also hoped it will promote the country's One Belt One Road initiative and also deepen culture exchanges between countries along the route.

The single-engine turboprop aircraft will have to endure challenges such as extreme weather, flying over war zones and landing at poorly-developed airports. A journalist will also be part of the crew to do low-altitude shooting during the epic trip.