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.
In this post:
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?!
I counted 24 private jets at Shiveley Field this evening (Sept 6, 2025). Most have been parked here all week, several look like they will be leaving tonight sometime.
I'm surprised you never read Hard Landing. Fantastic book about the commercial airline industry in the US during 20th century. The book mentions Conquistadores several times.
We should lobby to get all anti trust immunity by all carriers and alliances thrown out. Technology is now good enough to know where ur luggage is and interlining penalties should eliminate games played by carriers. This will get us a competitive landscape again.
As a Gay American man I can honestly say this is the gayest American corporate event I’ve ever heard of!
And clearly that’s not an insult.
Brokeback Mountain for airline execs?
Three things: 1) A shout out to TravelinWilly for writing the funniest comment in awhile on this blog: 2) Of course they are colluding during these cozy events; and 3) the irony of executives in an industry that is based on advanced technology trying to live the fantasy of another age (clearly, 1st class passengers should be delivered from lounge to gate in sedan chairs based on these executives' fantasies).
This sounds as laughably self-serious as the Cape and Pistol Society. The only difference is that Cape and Pistol is intentionally goofy because it was written that way for a TV comedy.
Maybe we get a duel between the Christ-following airline execs of the year?
"Conquistadores del Cielo...was never even mentioned in any sort of mainstream press until 2010."
Do books from major publishers count as mainstream press? Maybe you haven't read "Rapid Descent: Deregulation and the Shakeout in the Airlines," written by myself and Barbara Peterson (Simon & Schuster 1994), which opens with a detailed account of what goes on at Conquistadores' annual gathering.
As innocently as this may have begun you could not convince me that they aren't colluding for anti-competition purposes.
You should read Hard Landing by Thomas Petzinger. He talks about mergers and other stuff that happened at those meetings
Ben, love the blog but can't believe you didn't mention how potentially problematic this could be for antitrust matters. This event could facilitate collusion on pricing, capacity, frequent flier program devals, etc yet you write about it like a kid.
Do you think Frank Lorenzo was ever invited....I doubt it!!!!
He was there every year, and his attendance was endlessly reported in many books where this topic such as Hard Landing, as referenced here in this thread.
i believe they gather every year not to share their common passion for horse riding but to share ideas on how to maximize revenue on our backs
As Adam Smith observed almost 250 years ago, "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices."
A bunch of rich, white men sitting by the fire and deciding how the rest of us get to travel. Whats not to love about that?
Guess where they got the ideas for various seating assignment fees and baggage charges?
I smell antitrust DOJ enforcement
I’m surprised given your position in the aviation blogosphere that you’ve not yet read Hard Landing. You will enjoy every page of that book… go read it now.
A collection of privileged white males. Looks a lot like Trump's Cabinet.
The 'bite' of a quip requires a subject which hasn't already been flogged to death in 2016..
I worked at A Bar A Ranch one year and experienced it all. Neil Armstrong was there too. 2011 was, surprise surprise, the first year they allowed women in. I would not exactly call the initiation ceremony a “solemn” event.
Imagine being Spirit’s or Lufthansa’s CEO at this event.
So you finally found their Wikipedia page?
“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?”
Goodness, I’m fanning myself. Perhaps now’s the time to wipe off and share a cigarette with Ford.
It all sounds like a gayer version of Bohemian Grove, if one can even contemplate such a thing.
Unfunny and homophobic too. Oh, TravelinPenis..
Nothing like an elitist group coming together under the guise of being the Conquerers of The Sky. It's creepy, it's very strange, super questionable, and it's not 1940 anymore. Surprised you are glamorizing this a bit in the post.
WOW: I've dropped this term here few times over the years and always thought Ben and few readers gets it.
I remember I said it once when Ben went to Montana.
Smells like collusion
*Tom Horton, Lucky. Tim Horton sells donuts.
Hears a who?
“American president Tim Horton” brought such a smile to my face. We should be so lucky.
You really should read the book hard landing. Though it came out in 1994 or so it is THE definitive book written about the industry. And it has tons of details about the conquistadores and their meetings.
Came here to say this! Incredible book for anyone who has an interest in the industry.
This sounds incredibly illegal.
sounds like a collusion event.
It’s discussed in a great book about the airline industry from the 90s called Hard Landing! Actually just finished reading the book which is fascinating given it came out before 9/11 and the true birth of alliances
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/438607.Hard_Landing