(FILE)

Chen Wei is on a round-the-world flight, the first Chinese do so. After 18-month preparation, Chen said he is quite confident about the tour. At each stop, Chen is being warmly welcomed by local Chinese.

Starting on May 21 from Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States, Chen's tour will cover 21 countries and end in Memphis. The journey will cover 40,000 km and last 70 days.

Chen, 40, was born in Changsha, capital city of central China's Hunan Province. He went to the United States for further study in 1995. Flying has been Chen's dream since he was a child. In 2007, he successfully

applied for a license to fly driving private aircraft in the United States and flying has brought him much joy in recent years.