WOW: Conquistadores Del Cielo, The Secret Club For Airline Executives

I’ve been obsessed with the airline industry since I was a little kid, yet I only recently learned about what might be the most interesting little industry insight I’ve ever come across. I’m kind of in disbelief that I hadn’t heard about this until now, so bear with me for a moment.

Airline executives meet at a Wyoming ranch every year

While airline executives are fiercely competitive with one another, they also have a lot of shared challenges, topics of discussion, and general passion. Every year, there’s the International Air Transport Association Annual General Meeting (IATA AGM), which is attended by just about all the industry titans. However, it’s such a whirlwind event and there are thousands of people, so there’s not really much one-on-one time.

As it turns out, the industry’s top executives have secretly been meeting in private for years, as part of a club that’s called Conquistadores del Cielo (Spanish for “Conquerers of the Sky”). The non-profit club has the following stated goal (definitely the sanitized version):

“To develop and promote interest in aerospace activities. Sponsoring and giving educational, social, recreational and athletic events and functions that will bring together and unite in fellowship persons interested in the general purpose of the organization, and any other activities that such fellowship shall kindle and inspire. The organization shall be conducted without pecuniary benefit to the membership.”

The club dates back to 1937, when it was founded by William John “Jack” Frye, President of Transcontinental & Western Air (later TWA), as an informal meeting between airline executives. He launched the club at his own ranch, A Bar A Ranch, in Encampment, Wyoming. Airline executives would go hunting, fishing, drinking, and just generally socializing.

But here’s the shocking part — this continues to take place annually to this day, at exactly the same place. The 100,000-acre ranch is near Saratoga Shively Field Airport (SAA), so you can figure out when the event is based on a huge influx of private jets landing at the airport.

The event seems to be a mix of business and pleasure. For example, the American & US Airways merger concept reportedly started at the Conquistadores del Cielo retreat. According to (at the time) American President Tom Horton:

“I said to Doug, standing by the river, I think there could be the potential for value creation in a combination. I made that pitch. We nodded heads to one another.”

According to former Rolls-Royce CEO John Rose, the Conquistadores have a club drinking song, a twist on the song “The Three Caballeros,” from the 1944 film with that name:

“We’re Conquistadores, gay Conquistadores
We’re birds of a very fine feather
We’re happy amigos no matter where he goes
The One, Two and Three goes, we’re always together”

One of the biggest events is apparently an initiation ceremony, for those who have attended three meetings:

“This ceremony is a pantomime induction with processions of Conquistadores riding down from the hills with lighted torches. Initiates are sworn in and dubbed ‘Conquistador.’ The script being read recounts the history of the Conquerors of the Sky. Fireworks conclude the ceremony. It is costumed by the workshop which costumes the Royal Spanish Opera in Madrid. Authentic period costumes complete with armor, swords, and full regalia are used. It is an extremely solemn occasion for members involved in the cause of promoting aviation in this country.”

There’s almost no public acknowledgement of the existence of Conquistadores del Cielo, and it was never even mentioned in any sort of mainstream press until 2010, over 70 years after it was founded.

What I’d give to be a fly on the wall at this event!

We all have different reasons we like the airline industry. Some of us just love miles & points. Some of us love travel. Some of us are aviation geeks. I absolutely love all of those things, but even more than that, I love the industry.

It’s just such an impossibly complex business, and as a result, it draws some incredibly passionate, smart, and competitive people. More so than in any industry I’ve ever seen, the high level executives in the airline industry are living their passion every day.

I think the unique characters in the industry make this such a fun space to follow. Some people watch Real Housewives for entertainment, or whatever. But who needs that when you can just enjoy the drama in the airline industry?

I’m trying to envision a bunch of airline executives at a ranch in Wyoming just hanging out, and I’m chuckling playing through all the scenarios.

Do Robert Isom and Carsten Spohr go hunting together? Do Ed Bastian and Scott Kirby sit by the fireplace in the evenings sipping on scotch? Do Michael O’Leary and Willie Walsh go horseback riding together? The possibilities are endless!

Bottom line

For nearly 90 years now, airline executives have been meeting at a ranch in Wyoming. What started as an informal meeting of industry friends has seemingly turned into the most meaningful way that airline industry executives connect with one another in person.

The thought of the industry’s top executives all just hunting, fishing, drinking, and having rituals dating back decades is quite something…

What do you make of the Conquistadores del Cielo club? And am I the only hardcore airline geek that wasn’t familiar with this until now?!