Lightning-strike in aeronautics

Among the atmospheric events to which civil and military aviation are exposed, thunderstorms and lightning are dreaded by crews and air traffic controllers alike. Protecting airplanes and helicopters against the effects of lightning strikes is an imperative necessity for flight safety, and is taken into account by aircraft manufacturers and by the authorities responsible for authorizing aircraft operations. Thunderstorms, at all latitudes, remain a particularly dangerous environment for aviation; today, they are a cause of air traffic disruption, resulting in delays, flight cancellations and the temporary closure of airport hubs.

This article covers the following points:

• the mechanisms that lead to aircraft being struck by lightning in flight, and the main properties of thunderstorms and lightning (§ 1 );

• the consequences of a lightning strike on flight safety, as well as experience gained from accidents and incidents since the beginnings of modern civil aviation (§ 2 );

• lightning qualification: the standards applied and the test methods used by the civil aviation authorities to authorize an aircraft to fly in thunderstorm conditions (§ 3 );

• direct effects of lightning, damage to materials...