Article by Andrei Crăiţoiu – Published Friday, April 24, 2026, 12:36 / Updated Friday, April 24, 2026 12:36
After more than four decades since he flew with a private plane, Ion Țiriac (86 years old) speaks without hesitation about luxury, strict aviation rules and the pleasure of landing even after ten-hour flights, in a world where air routes are dictated by wars, political conflicts and prohibitions.
“I don't like staying in airports anymore.” Says the former great tennis player Ion Țiriac, who defines his only “vice”: private flying, but also the passion to sit in the air and land at the world's major airports. The dialogue with Ovidiu Ioanițoaia, at “Ovidiu's Friends”, below.
– Mr. Țiriac, what vices do you still have at your age?
– The only great luxury I have is that I travel by private plane. I mean I don't like sitting in airports anymore, I don't like it anymore and I've been doing it for 40 years already.
– How many planes do you have now?
– I have about three, but it's no use to me because I always have to fix one, fix another, fix another.
– You have been to China recently, haven't you? Have you been on your plane?
– Three days ago. Yes, of course.
“I slept ten hours until Beijing. In Europe I'm a pilot, I'm a captain”
– Well, how much did you do, non-stop to Beijing or what?
– Attention, if I want to tell you how much I did, I did two hours more because I had to go down to Africa to Egypt…
– You bypassed this area, right?
– I couldn't go straight because you can't cross Iran, you can't cross Israel, you can't cross Russia, you can't cross Ukraine. And I did two hours more, ten hours I did to Beijing. But normally I have to do seven and a half hours, eight hours.
– It's a Bombardier, right?
– Yes, Global.
– Good, did you drive it too?
– No, no, no. When it comes to ten hours, I don't know what, I have a bed and I go and sleep there for ten hours and leave the other two pilots.
– So you walk with two pilots now, because before you were one…
– You have to. In Europe, I generally fly with a captain. But for example on a trip like this you need three pilots. After eight hours you need three pilots, so I'm listed as a pilot there.
“Every year I have to go to the cage…”
– Otherwise you can't fly…
– Yes, yes, yes, but I generally fool everyone about this too. There are two minutes at takeoff and then you press the buttons exactly like the Chinese now press the buttons on their cars and go to the market by themselves. Then you have to keep your eyes open for ten hours there… But I really like landing.
– Have you landed in Beijing now?
– Yes, yes.
– But the price of kerosene didn't go up, did you manage?
– Kerosene is handled by the other pilot who does these things. I generally fly on the left side where the captain flies. The rest talk to the radio, with all that stuff. As long as a pilot has the medical and takes his lessons in the cage (simulator), every year I have to go to the cage…. As long as you take the simulator and take the medical, age doesn't matter anymore.
– Are these pilots your permanent employees or do you take them only for the roads?
– No, no, they are permanent. The company Țiriac Air handles all the planes. Some have retired from everyone I started with 30 or so years ago. Now I do it with an Austrian company.
