The sight of advertising blimps and airships has become commonplace at most celebrated sporting events. The smooth, quiet ride of these majestic machines gives camera crews the perfect platform for shots that give you a bird's-eye view of the action or let you see the challenges ahead on the next hole of the PGA tour.

In addition to blimps and airships, many small aircraft are used to cover outdoor events like car, motorcycle and boat racing, or football, baseball, soccer, and golf.

Hollywood has made fantastic use of airplanes and helicopters, not only within their scripts and stories, but more importantly, to capture the impossible shot.

From overhead flybys of major skylines to screaming car chases that leave your heart pounding, airplanes and helicopters allow today's film and video crews to capture spine-tingling action in every frame.

News stations in every metropolitan area use helicopters and airplanes to provide coverage of breaking news events and to shuttle news crews and correspondents to the action.

From high-speed police pursuits to the devastation of raging wildfires, the views we see on the news give us a new perspective on our community and our lives that can forever change the way we approach many issues.

From highly modified World War II fighter jets with 2,000-hp engines to small homebuilt racers with 100-hp engines, air races thrill audiences while doubling as a breeding ground for new airframe and engine technologies.

Millions of people every year enjoy the special sites and stories that can be found only by visiting America's world-class aviation museums.

From the grandeur of the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C., to the small airplane hangars filled with flying memorabilia that are tucked away all across the country, Americans are people who always have been fascinated with the history of flight.

And why not? To fly free like a bird, to soar with the wind over treetops and steeples is mankind's oldest dream. It's a dream that has been fulfilled only within the last century, and people still are fascinated by flying machines of all types.

The next time you enjoy a thrilling movie with spectacular action shots, watch an outdoor sporting event with overhead views, see TV coverage of a local news event, enjoy an aircraft museum with your grandchildren, or take to the simulated skies using your computer, think about the role GA is playing in your personal enjoyment of life.