Which device dissipates accumulated static electricity on the aircraft?

• A. Grounding Cable
• B. Lightning Diverter
• C. Electrical Bonding Strap
• D. Static Discharger

Answer: (D)

Static electricity builds up on an aircraft as it moves through the air, and it needs a controlled way to leave the aircraft so radio systems aren’t affected and sparks don’t form. The device that does this is the static discharger, often called a static wick. These small devices are mounted on trailing edges of wings, rudders, and other extremities; as the airplane flies, the discharger releases charges into the surrounding air through corona discharge, gradually equalizing the aircraft’s electrical potential with the atmosphere.

Grounding cables are used on the ground to connect the aircraft to earth during maintenance or fueling, providing a temporary path to dissipate static. Lightning diverters provide a path for lightning current to follow during a strike, protecting surfaces but not the normal, everyday static buildup. Electrical bonding straps keep components at the same potential to reduce arcing, but they don’t actively shed accumulated charge like a discharger does. The specific device that dissipates accumulated static electricity in normal operation is the static discharger.