Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Airships, also known as a dirigibles, are powered lighter-than-air aircraft that derive their lift from a lifting gas (usually helium) and are propelled forward by an engine. Airships were the first aircraft to enable controlled, powered flight, and were widely used before World War II, but their popularity decreased as their capabilities were surpassed by those of the rapidly evolving airplanes. Today, enhanced with the latest safety and navigation technologies, airships are still being used in areas such as areal observation, freight transport, tourism, camera and advertising platforms in sporting events and other applications where the ability to safely hover in one place outweighs speed and maneuverability.