Sky King was an American radio and TV series. Its lead character was Arizona rancher and aircraft pilot Schuyler "Sky" King. The series may have been based on a true-life personality of the 1930s, Jack Cones, the "Flying Constable" of Twentynine Palms in San Bernardino County, California, although this notion is unverified.
The radio show began in 1946 and was based on a story by Roy Winsor,
WIKIPEDIA. The series was the brainchild of Robert Morris Burtt and Wilfred Gibbs Moore, who also created Captain Midnight. Several actors played the part of Sky on the radio show, including Earl Nightingale [circle photo] and John Reed King. [PHOTO: above left]
"Radio premiums" were offered to listeners, as was the case with many radio shows of the day. For example, the Sky King Secret Signalscope was used on November 2, 1947, in the "Mountain Detour" episode. Listeners were advised to get their own for only 15 cents and the inner seal from a jar of Peter Pan Peanut Butter, which was produced by the sponsor, Derby Foods. The Signalscope included a glow-in-the-dark signaling device, whistle, magnifying glass, and Sky King's private code. With the Signalscope, one could also see around corners and trees. The premiums were innovative, such as the Sky King Spy-Detecto Writer, which had a "decoder" (cipher disk), magnifying glass, measuring scale, and printing mechanism in a single package slightly over two inches long. Other notable premiums were the Magni-Glo Writing Ring, which had a luminous element, a secret compartment, a magnifier, and a ballpoint pen all in the crown piece of a "fits any finger" ring.
The radio show continued until 1954, broadcasting simultaneously with the first portion of the television version.
The series had strong western elements. King usually captured criminals and spies and found lost hikers--though he did so with the use of his airplane, the Songbird. The airplanes flown by King changed during the course of the TV series, but were still known as the Songbird, although the number was not given for the last model assigned to this role.
King and his niece Penny (and sometimes Clipper, his nephew) lived on the Flying Crown Ranch, near the fictitious town of Grover, Arizona. Penny and Clipper were also pilots, although they were inexperienced and looked to their uncle for guidance. Penny was an accomplished air racer, rated as a multi-engine pilot, whom Sky trusted to fly the Songbird. In the third TV episode, Penny referred to Clipper as "my brother." Announcer for the ABC radio series was Myron "Mike" Wallace who was to become CBS-TV 60 Minutes anchor. The TV Series starred actor Kirby Grant.
