A 76-year-old Spitfire plane is due to take off from Goodwood Aerodrome in the UK for a four-month, 43,500-kilometer adventure westwards around the globe.

Steve Brooks, 58, and Matt Jones, 45, will pilot the Silver Spitfire to around 30 countries and soar over some of the world's most cherished landmarks.

Spitfires were crucial in the 1940 Battle of Britain as the UK fought off the threat of an invasion by Nazi Germany.

A design classic, the outline of a Spitfire is instantly recognizable.

Of around 20,000 built, fewer than 250 survive, with only 50 or so of those still airworthy. 

They rarely fly and are mostly based in the UK.

The mission is designed to honor those who designed, built, and flew the Spitfire.

The silver plane will cross the Atlantic Ocean via the Faroe Islands, Reykjavik, Greenland and remote parts of northern Canada.

AFP