If your glider is attracted to the board…

Static Cling and Walkalong Gliders

Even though this video is not fully completed, it shows how to work around static cling, avoid it or discharge it.

One day I tried to demonstrate air surfing in a classroom. It was not working. When the air-deflecting board got close to the glider, they were attracted. I finally figured out that static electricity was causing the problem. That time it was because the room had carpet. It can also happen when people unconsciously rub the boards against their clothing--particularly when the weather is cool and dry.

Here are some ways to get rid of static charge. Rub the board with a wet rag or something. Dampness kills static. If the glider itself has static charge, then hold it in the steam (actually water vapor) over a bowl of very hot water. You can dab it with a slightly damp washcloth, but if it gets wet, you'll have to let it dry. Just a few drops of water will add too much weight.

If you do not know how walkalong gliding/air-surfing works, this might be confusing. Walkalong gliding does NOT use static electricity at all; it only uses deflected air to levitate gliders. However, you can use static electricity to levitate tinsel, thin plastic, etc. There is even a toy that is a hand-held Van De Graaff generator that makes things float. And to make things even more confusing, static electricity can attract AND repel things.

So of course by now you are thinking, "Why not combine aerodynamic with static levitation. And indeed my friend Nyle Steiner has done some work with that.