I had an introductory lesson with a taildragger airplane yesterday, a SuperCub, N1249A. (That's a story deserving an entire blog to itself.) When the lesson was over, I went to check this aircraft out. It's registered to a company in Avon, Colorado. Pretty airplane and very expensive.
These little things hanging off the trailing edges of the wings, tail, and nacelles are called static wicks. They bleed off static electricity generated by the triboelectric effect of the rarefied air moving over the surfaces of the aircraft at high altitude. Sometimes the lightning-like sparklers, called by some, St. Elmo's fire, are visible from the cabin of jets while flying at night. I have never personally seen St. Elmo's fire myself.
Three of these Garrett turbofan engines power this plane and I can barely afford gas for one little four cylinder putt-putt!
