"Jet aircraft line the tarmac at the Sedona Airport on Friday, May 18 2018. Aviation executives, owners of major corporate airlines, aircraft manufacturing companies, suppliers and other corporate officials met in Sedona over the weekend for the annual 3-day Conquistadores del Cielo aviation club gathering. Founded in 1937, by Transcontinental & Western Air President, William John 'Jack' Frye, a Sedona resident, the private club meets around the country twice a year, but the attendees are not allowed to discuss business during the friendly gathering." This from a Sedona Legend friend-- likely originated in the Sedona Red Rock News.

Jack (President/Founder of TWA) & Helen Frye shown at Sedona waiting for ride to their private airport to board Jack's Lockheed 12A for Kansas City and Washington D.C. (1942)

"Jack and Howard intended to build a fleet of Constellations for TWA and make all other airlines obsolete-- the very first fast planes. This is why they were building the plane in 

secret.

Unfortunately, with the onset of the war, the Army asked what they were doing. Subsequently, a deal was made, whereby TWA would fly the planes for the Army Air Force."

Helen Frye- 1974

Jack Frye Association With Continental Airport @ Santa Fe New Mexico 

As this telegram reveals-- Jack Frye (President of TWA) and his wife Helen Vanderbilt landed frequently at Santa Fe to confer with their architect John Gaw Meem. Jack & Helen even picked up Meem in plane (shown) and flew him over to Sedona and back to see their building site. For those of you who fly in and out of Santa Fe, just image how primitive it was in 1942, with dirt pack runways. The Lockheed shown here was originally owned by Continental Airlines and used for passenger service in the late 1930's. Jack purchased it from owner Bob Six to be used as a TWA private executive plane in late 1940. No stranger to Santa Fe, this same Lockheed 12A Jr. provided daily passenger service from El Paso - Albuquerque - Santa Fe - Pueblo - Colorado Springs - Denver (under Continental Airline livery) for 3 years. By 1941-- the same Lockheed twin continued to be a frequent visitor to Santa Fe's 'Continental Airport' with Jack & Helen Frye. By 1945, Jack traded the plane for a 1942 Lockheed Lodestar twin, this plane also landed and took off at Santa Fe for the next 2 years. These were the first passenger planes with TWA markings to land frequently at Santa Fe, NM. Jack and Helen always stayed at La Fonda whenever they met with renowned architect John Gaw Meem.

Transcontinental & Western Air Inc. (TWA) calendar for 1939

Click here to view the comprehensive website:

Jack & Helen Frye Story - The Camelot Years of TWA 

To read the block-buster book-- please click here:

The Jack & Helen Story - The Camelot Years of TWA

Former Frye Ranch at Sedona (now as Red Rock State Park). Purchased by Jack Frye (president and founder of TWA in 1941) this ranch property at over 700 acres saw 38-years of Frye ownership. The house in the background was constructed in 1948 by Jack & Helen Frye.

Panorama of the Wings of the Wind (built in 1962) and the House of Apache Fires (built in 1948) at the Frye Ranch Sedona (now Red Rock State Park) taken in 1963.