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Old 7th Apr 2006, 02:39
  #29 (permalink)  
Dan Winterland
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Blighty
Posts: 4,789
Received 7 Likes on 3 Posts
I've been struck several times and received shocks twice. The first was in a composite glider. There was no damage to the airframe but my left hand was on the airbrke lever and the charged arced from the metal part of the lever ovedr the plastic grip and hit my palm. I still have the scar today.

The second shock came in a VC10. I always thought that a metal airframe should a act as a farady cage and protect the occupants. Not so in this case. The strike was on the refuelling probe just above the radome. I was the PNF and was transmitting - telling ATC we were deviating for weather! The shock went throught the left pedal, up the left side of my body and through my left hand. The F/O felt a shock through both feet and lightning path went through the centre of the cabin. Everyone was sitting down so no-one in the cabin was struck. The aircraft had holes in the refuelling probe and both wingtips. I get aches up the left side of my body, parcticularly in the left wrist and ankle.
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