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Cessna 310 ‘Songbird III’ Still Attracts the Fans

The Cessna 310, made popular on the ‘Sky King” show of the 1950s, remains a photo magnet to this day.

"Songbird III", the Cessna 310D used in the television show "Sky King". [Credit: Stephen Yeates]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The Cessna 310D "Songbird III," associated with the 1950s TV show "Sky King," is a popular attraction and selfie magnet at major air shows.
  • "Sky King" was an influential adventure serial featuring a flying hero who used "Songbird" aircraft (including various Cessna 310 models) to solve problems.
  • Although "Songbird III" was primarily used for publicity, the show's enduring legacy continues to inspire aviators and evokes strong generational nostalgia.
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At larger fly-ins and air shows like Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo and EAA AirVenture, there are certain airplanes that are selfie magnets. One of those is Songbird III, the Cessna 310D used in the television show Sky King.

Sky King was one of the first radio adventure serials to make the jump to TV in the 1950s. It featured the adventures of Schuyler “Sky” King and his niece, Penny, and nephew, Clipper, living on the Flying Crown ranch in Arizona. King was a former military aviator and was often called upon to catch the bad guys and save the day, which usually involved fancy flying in a twin-engine Cessna named Songbird. The show was sponsored by Peter Pan peanut butter and later Nabisco.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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