Out of the Blue

Do you know who flew the plane in the Sky King series of TV shows? How many different "Songbird" planes were there? What happened to the "missing episodes"? What did Kirby Grant do after the TV series ended? Did you know Kirby Grant was a singer and a concert violinist?

Sky King began in the late 1950s.Those of us of a certain age grew up with theshow. The old black and white TV series inspired a lot of aviation careers, from pilots and flight instructors to airline pilots to NASA astronauts.

I had the personal pleasure of meeting and getting to know Kirby Grant and his wife after they retired to Central Florida in 1971. After his heart surgery in 1978, Kirby Grant spoke to me about the book he was "writing", taking the title "Out of the Blue" from the iconic opening of the television show. It was only much later after Kirby's passing in 1986 that I learned from his wife, Carolyn Grant, that the "book" had existed only in Kirby's mind and good intentions. This book is the long over due fulfillment of a promise to Carolyn Grant.

Even if you are too young to remember the show, you will find this book an interesting journey into the early years of television history as you get to know one of its heroes.