Glider

A glider is a customization feature used in Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart Arcade GP DX and Mario Kart 8. After driving over a blue Boost Pad with arrows, the selected glider automatically deploys, allowing players to float across gaps or over a portion of a track. Gliders only affect the weight and acceleration stat, along with the hidden air speed and air handling stat.

Mario Kart 7
Gliders first appear in Mario Kart 7. They may affect the weight or acceleration, or even the air speed and air handling. If players brake or get hit with an item while gliding, the glider retracts and the player falls to the ground.

All tracks in the game, excluding Rosalina's Ice World, N64 Luigi Raceway,  GCN Daisy Cruiser, and  SNES Rainbow Road, utilize the glider.

Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
In the Arcade GP series, gliders first appear in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX. They serve the same purpose as Mario Kart 7. The glider is decided depending on the Kart chosen.

Half of the courses make use of the glider in this game:
 * Toad Cup
 * Peach Castle
 * Kingdom Way
 * Bowser Jr. Cup
 * Aerial Road
 * Sky Arena
 * Bowser Cup
 * Bowser Castle

Mario Kart 8
Gliding returns in Mario Kart 8, and functions exactly like it did in Mario Kart 7, though the glider can no longer be retracted. All gliders from Mario Kart 7 return except the Beast Glider and the Swooper.

The only tracks in the game that don't make use of gliding are Toad Harbor, GCN Dry Dry Desert,  SNES Donut Plains 3,  GCN Yoshi Circuit, Excitebike Arena, Dragon Driftway, Mute City,  Wii Wario's Gold Mine, SNES Rainbow Road and  GCN Baby Park.

Trivia

 * The Super Glider, Peach Parasol, Flower Glider, Paraglider/Parafoil, and Gold Glider are the only gliders to appear in both games.
 * The Cloud Glider is the only glider in the Mario Kart series to consist of balloons.
 * The Kart Mario costume in Super Mario Maker, when jumping, deploys a glider.