A Chinese pilot who studied to be a doctor in the United States took off Aug. 7 from the Beijing Capital International Airport with a crew of five to attempt the first round the world flight by a Chinese citizen starting from China.

The pilot, Captain Zhang Bo, said there will be some 50 stops and he will follow a portion of the ancient Silk Road trade route along the way. He said this is the first time this route will be traced from the air.

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For some strange reason, Zhang chose to fly a plane made in France and not in China.

Zhang said he's been carefully preparing for this epic flight, which is the first by a Chinese, for over two years.

Zhang, who is in his 50s, is flying a single-engine turboprop SOCATA TMB700 aircraft made in France that can seat up to seven persons.

His audacious aerial trek that will last 58 days will see him fly the small plane over 40,000 kilometers and make stops in over 20 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Russia, Iceland and the United Kingdom.

An aviation enthusiast, Zhang learned to fly while studying for his doctor's degree at the University of Illinois. He now has over 600 hours of flying time.

Zhang's TBM 700 is a popular, high performance single-engine turboprop light business and utility aircraft manufactured by the French firm DAHER-SOCATA based in Tarbes. The aircraft is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-64 engine delivering 522 kW.

TagsCaptain Zhang Bo, Round-the-World Fligh, SOCATA TMB700