Alex Rodriguez is one of the most famous players in Major Leage Baseball (MLB) history. Rodriquez was born in New York City, New York, on July 27, 1975. He was introduced to baseball at an early age by his father, who played baseball in the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez was a standout in high school, when he attended school in Palmetto Bay, Florida. He was regarded as the top prospect in the country by 1993, and he even became the first high school player to try out for the United States national baseball team.

After he graduated in 1993, Rodriguez was drafted first overall by the Seattle Mariners. After a few years of playing minor league baseball, he was named the Mariners’ starting shortstop in 1996. He immediately took the MLB by storm, as he hit for a .358 batting average with 36 home runs and 123 RBIs.

In 2000, Rodriguez signed with the Texas Rangers, signing a 10-year deal for over $250 million. This was the highest paying contract in sports history. By 2003, Rodriguez was seeing continuing success, leading the American League (AL) in home runs and also winning a second Gold Glove Award.

However, in February 2004, Rodriguez was traded to the New York Yankees, and he was moved to 3rd base, as Derek Jeter, another MLB All Star, was playing shortstop. Rodriguez saw continued success with the Yankees, earning seven more All-Star bids and two more AL MVPs. He also helped the New York Yankees win a World Series in 2009.

NOAA Gulfstream IV-SP taking off from Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in August 2017_NOAA photo by LT Kevin Doremus

Photo: NOAA

After he retired in 2016, Rodriguez began a media career and started several business ventures under his existing business called A-Rod Corp. This included investing in several businesses, such as Snapchat and the charter company Wheels Up. Due to his extensive playing career and successful business ventures, Rodriguez reached a net worth of over $350 million, which makes him the wealthiest MLB player of all time. Because of this, it is no wonder that Rodriquez owns and operates a business jet. Let’s take a closer look at the private jet that he flies, as well as what makes it so special.

The Rodriguez private jet

Currently, Rodriguez and his team own and operate a Gulfstream IV. According to JetSpy, this heavy private jet was first built in 1997 and has the serial number of 1317. The aircraft, which has a registration of N313AR, is officially registered with DORA 13 LLC. This holding company is AROD backwards, which is Rodriguez’s nickname, and is also managed by Jose Morse, one of Rodriguez’s most prominent business partners.

A Gulfstream G-IV arrives at the Centennial Airport at sunset.

Photo: BlueBarronPhoto | Shutterstock

Rodriguez and his team operate this jet fairly frequently. According to JetSpy, this Gulfstream IV has flown 97 times in 2024 for a total of 216 flight hours. These flights have amounted to over 115,000 gallons of jet fuel, which has contributed over 1,100 metric tons of carbon emissions.

The aircraft is flown to many frequent locations, including to Miami, Florida, Rodriguez’s main point of residence, and also to Minneapolis, Minnesota, as Rodriquez was attempting to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves, a National Basketball Association (NBA) team.

Overall, the aircraft’s most visited airports are:

  1. Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF)
  2. Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport (MSP)
  3. Van Nuys Airport (VNY)

About the Gulfstream IV

The Gulfstream IV includes a series of aircraft that was first developed by Gulfstream Aerospace in the early 1980s. Gulfstream wanted to add more powerful engines and stretch the fuselage of its popular Gulfstream III. The first prototype conducted its maiden flight in September 1985, and it was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in April 1987. It was officially introduced later that year.

A Gulfstream G450 on an airport apron.

Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock

Since then, Gulfstream has introduced several upgraded variants of its successful heavy business jet. This includes the Gulfstream IV-SP that was introduced in 1993. Gulfstream also introduced another upgrade called the G400 and an aircraft with a reduced range called the G300. The Savannah, Georgia-based company upgraded both of these variants to the G450 and the G350 in 2004, which included more powerful avionics systems. The G450 also has a longer fuselage.

Overall, Gulfstream produced a variant in the Gulfstream IV family from 1985 through 2018, and over 900 total aircraft were produced. It was adopted by several militaries, including the US Air Force, US Navy, and even the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Turkish Registered Gulfstream IV-SP (Reg: TC-MZH) on short finals in strong headwind.

Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock

Performance specifications of the Gulfstream IV

One of the biggest improvements on the Gulfstream IV was a redesigned wing. This made the aircraft lighter and created less drag to help the aircraft achieve a better performance. Gulfstream also incorporated a glass cockpit in the aircraft, making it the first business jet to utilize a system like this. Early variants utilized the Honeywell SPZ 8000 avionics suite, whereas later models were upgraded to the Honeywell SPZ 8400 avionics system. Gulfstream also chose Rolls-Royce Tay fanjet engines to power the aircraft, which provided the Gulfstream IV with over 12,400 pounds of thrust.

These significant upgrades helped the Gulfstream IV reach the following performance specifications:

Maximum capacity

19 passengers

Length

88 feet four inches

Height

24 feet five inches

Wingspan

77 feet ten inches

Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW)

73,200 pounds

Maximum speed

Mach 0.88 (581 miles per hour)

Range

4,220 nautical miles (4,856 miles)

Service ceiling

45,000 feet

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