Originally Posted by
Variable Load
I didn't say regulatory, I said driven by the regulator. The rules we work with are not in regulation, but the Met Office tool and the associated ruleset are all put in place with CAA oversight, encouragement, etc.
212man makes reference to TIGK. This was the start of a very long journey. Some of the initial research was very interesting, including that TL was mainly "positive" rather than "negative" and carried much more energy than traditional lightning. The positive lightning strike energy far exceeded the certification requirements back in the 90s, and I suspect still does.
I remember HC telling me years ago that the ion trail from the exhausts was like flying along with several hundred metres of copper wire behind you!