The desanding trick

December 14, 2019

Sand in the umbrella is also held by electrostatic forces, which makes it difficult to shake all the sand out of the umbrella. A simple trick can help. An unloaded umbrella releases the sand. // Source: Facebook, Mike Kremer Mike Kremer, test pilot at Airdesign, has once again made a helpful video: How to gently remove the stubborn sand grains sticking to the screen after a day at the dune. The trick: Grains of sand also stick to the paraglider fabric due to electrostatic forces. Even vigorous shaking does not help and can even be counterproductive, because rubbing the nylon fabric on itself tends to intensify the effect. But with a piece of metal that you drive over the surface of the screen, the charge can be diverted. The grains of sand then fall down as if by magic. In a short Facebook video, Mike shows what this can look like in practice.

This article has been translated for your convenience and was originally written in alemão.