loubetti
Pays to fly
Not too far off the mark. Ya' often have a lot of high time guys as members. GA, retired airline pilots, military, etc. Having grey hair helps.
Charles Lindbergh was a member, so were a couple of DPEs I flew with back in the 70s.
Yes, you have to be invited.
The full name of them is: "Ye Ancient and Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen"
Here's a little info on them:
http://www.oldbeacon.com/beacon/qb.htm
Just Google the name.
I recall one time when posting about the QBs at the AOPA forums, a guy PM'd me telling me that I should not talk about them in public. I did not know whether to laugh of cry over what he said! I think he took it all too seriously, although the QBs are the most exclusive "club" in aviation, bar none. That I will give them.
Then again, what was it that Graucho Marx said about "any club that would have me as a member..."
I have a good friend in NH who is a QB, and drinking and hangar talk is pretty much what he said it is. He probably could have made me a member, but the trip form NJ to NH for meetings was a deal-killer!
I believe my local cahpter is in Clifton, NJ.
Oh, they are not that "quiet" either. At Griffin avionics at HYA there is at least one or two cars parked there with QB stickers on their windows.
