Ralph Ambrose O'Neill (December 7, 1896 – October 23, 1980) was a Mexican flying ace from World War I credited with 103 combat patrols and five aerial victories.

He was raised in the United States and began a career in the mining industry where his father operated the newspaper for the border town of Nogales, Arizona.

[1] A real character amongst his squadron, O'Neill was given the nickname "The Snake" for his unorthodox flying techniques, and fierce aggression in seemingly unfavorable odds.

[1] After the war, with his fluency in Spanish, O'Neill was hired to be the South American representative for Boeing and the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company, affording him introductions to many heads of state.

With the current arsenal underwhelming and obsolete, O'Neill began to acquire air-cooled engines and new aircraft such as French Morane-Saulnier and 35 British Avro 504 model K and J for the flight school.

"Jefe Rodolfo" as he was then known, would present himself to manufacturers and foreign leaders under made-up titles such as "Major-General" in order to garner prominence and legitimacy.

The next step was the formation of classified fighter, bomber, observation and forward reconnaissance squadrons, as well as the decentralization of Air Force units throughout the country at strategic bases.

O'Neill then set to work with his co-instructors German Fritz Bieler and Frenchman Joe Ben Lievre, using the first intercom, basically a hose and funnel to communicate in an open cockpit, known as the "Gosport System", invented by Robert Smith-Barry.

In 1923, O'Neill flew several decisive combat missions against ex-president Adolfo de la Huerta who had started an armed rebellion with sitting president Álvaro Obregón(O'Brien).

On January 29, 1924, at Esperanza station, the tide of the war changed in favor of the loyalists thanks to better-organized ground and air co-operation along with new formations of synchronized aerial strafing runs and relentless resupply.

O'Neill is widely considered to be one of the founders of civil aviation and was one of the few to see the potential of building a vast international mail and leisure network.

In 1929, O'Neill created his dream company, New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Line, which operated the first airmail route from Argentina to Miami in a Sikorsky S-38.

In his autobiography, "A Dream of Eagles", O'Neill describes the birth of the flying industry and his relationship with other notable friends such as Charles Lindbergh and the first use of the Consolidated Commodore luxury travel seaplanes.

After a forced merger, over the right to acquisition United States government mail contracts and a heated power struggle with Juan Trippe for control of the industry, NYRBA was absorbed.