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In a confounding stunt that has invited admiration and amusement, a Boeing plane has managed to create an outline of itself in the skies over America.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was given clearance to embark on a 4,000-mile winding route that took a staggering 17 hours to complete in order to create the flight path shape.

It kicked off from Boeing's Seattle headquarters in Washington at 11pm on Tuesday, cruising continually at 41,000-ft, and keen aviation fans were able to track its unusual route as the flight path began to take shape using flightradar24.

Stunt: The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner embarked on a 4,000-mile winding route which took a staggering 17 hours to complete in order to create the flight path shape of itself. The image appeared on tracking website flightradar24

First it headed east across Montana and Dakota but then suddenly made a sharp turn when it reached the coastal city Marquette in Michigan state.

The pilot then headed into the central states of America, carving out a picture of a Dreamliner on its route.

Its port wingtip 'touched' the bottom of Texas and its tail was close to New Orleans.

It was then heading back in a northest direction to complete the outline and return to Seattle. 

The flight was not a result of the pilot getting catastrophically confused, but part of an elaborate PR stunt. Pictured is a Dreamliner in BA's fleet

It has been confirmed that the flight was not a result of the pilot getting catastrophically confused, but was indeed part of an elaborate PR stunt. 

It's not the first time such a stunt has been pulled off by the company. 

In February 2012, a Boeing 787-8 took an 18-hour flight travelling more than 10,000 miles from Washington State to Iowa as it traced out 787 and the Boeing logo in the skies above the US. 

At the time, Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing at Boeing, said: 'This wasn't a joy ride. It was an 18-hour Maximum ETOPS duration flight test for a 787-8 with GE engines.'

He added that the flight path had been checked with air traffic control centres and the route avoided restricted airspace. 

In February 2012, a Boeing 787-8 took an 18-hour flight travelling more than 10,000 miles from Washington State to Iowa as it traced out 787 and the Boeing logo in the skies above the US

The logo (pictured). At the time, Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing at Boeing: 'This wasn't a joy ride. It was an 18-hour Maximum ETOPS duration flight test for a 787-8 with GE engines'

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American long-haul, mid-size widebody, twin-engine jet airliner.

Several major airlines own versions of the model, including United Airlines, British Airways and Qatar Airways.

It can be customised, carrying between 242 and 335 passengers in a three-class seating configuration.

As of June 2017, 565 of them have been manufactured.