Speed Record Attempt Made from Historic OAK Terminal

The latest attempt at an airspeed record occurred on May 19 in the shadows of the 1920s Art Deco terminal at Oakland International Airport (OAK).

From left: Dave Mills, general manager of Business Jet Center, Mary Garcia, flight line manager for Business Jet Center, and pilots Rodrigo von Contra and Christopher Freeze.Christopher Freeze and Rodrigo von Contra aimed to set a new speed record in a Class C aircraft over a recognized course between Oakland and Mojave (Calif.) Airport (MHV). They completed the course in a modified Mooney M20J and have submitted their required flight documentation to the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) in order to claim the record. For the outbound flight, they covered the 253.3 nm course in 1 hour, 40 minutes and 48 seconds. For the return trip, they made the flight in 1 hour, 30 minutes and 13 seconds.

Now home to Business Jet Center, the historic terminal has been the backdrop for numerous aeronautical record attempts, including those by Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, whose effort to fly around the world touched the terminal.

In 2003, Business Jet Center invested $4.5 million to renovate the historic terminal at OAK, which included retaining much of the exterior façade of the original structure. Today, Business Jet Center manages more than 100,000 square feet of designated business and general aviation hangar, shop and office space, which make it one of the largest FBOs in the Bay Area.