It was with some trepidation that I boarded this flight into the unknown. This airline is the one and only option available to those fortunate enough to be granted a visa to visit the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea).

Upon entering the aircraft, my fear soon turned to intense fascination. It was an old soviet built Ilyushin, about 40 or so years old. The interior fittings were just as they would have been when the plane was first built. There was thick luxurious carpet on the floor and the seats were the originals (large and comfortable as they were back in the days when flying was the epitome of luxury).

The flight attendants were very attentive and extremely smartly turned out.

Although the flight from Beijing to Pyongyang only takes an hour & half, a full lunch service was provided complete with complementary beer. The standard of the food was high and would give a lot of the major players a run for their money.

The one and only thing that kept niggling in the back of my mind was if I'd get hit on the head by falling luggage should we encounter turbulence. The only reason for this minor concern was the fact that the overhead lockers consisted of one continuous open shelf the entire length of the aircraft.

All anxieties proved to be unfounded when we landed safely in Pyongyang and embarked upon the biggest adventure ever.