Aircraft are designed to tolerate lightning exposure, but a strike can still cause damage and require an inspection. Saying airplanes are ‘not affected’ hides the engineering and maintenance work involved. Lightning protection is also separate from the operational decision to avoid hazardous thunderstorms.
The current follows the aircraft structure
A metal aircraft skin provides conductive paths that help carry lightning current around the structure. Composite aircraft need engineered conductive features because their materials do not behave like an aluminum skin. Bonding, shielding and carefully designed connections help manage how electrical current travels.
An aircraft in flight does not route lightning safely into the earth through its landing gear. The lightning channel can attach at one point and leave at another while the airplane is airborne. Thinking of a house’s grounding wire leads to the wrong explanation.
Protection goes beyond the outer skin
Engineers consider both direct effects, such as heating or physical damage, and indirect electrical effects on equipment and wiring. Fuel-system protection is particularly important. The design must manage possible ignition sources as well as protect flight-critical electrical functions.
A broad Faraday-cage analogy helps explain conductive shielding, but it is not a complete description of an aircraft’s lightning-protection system. Nor should static-discharge wicks be described as a universal mechanism that prevents lightning strikes.
After a reported strike
Crews follow the aircraft and operator procedures and record relevant observations. Maintenance personnel then inspect the aircraft using the applicable instructions, including attention to attachment points, structure and affected equipment. A safe landing does not establish that the aircraft has no damage.
Airbus’s Lightning Strikes safety article explains why accurate crew reporting and maintenance follow-up matter. The correct inspection is specific to the aircraft rather than a checklist supplied by a general-interest blog.
Thunderstorms remain a weather hazard
Lightning is only one part of a thunderstorm environment. Turbulence, hail, wind shear and heavy precipitation can create additional hazards. Protection built into the aircraft supports safety; it is not permission to fly through a storm. Travelers should follow crew instructions, and pilots should use their approved weather-avoidance procedures.