1. What is it like in the flightdeck? is there a blinding white light followed by chaos or do a few warning lights come on and the flightdeck are put into action to work through any warnings?
2. Whats it like from the cabin, again is it a bright flash followed by being pitched into darkness and mass passneger panic or what ???????????????
In both cases, big flash and big boom! It is like Mother Nature taking your picture with a REAL BIG camera!
3. What problems are associated with lightning strikes such as airframe, avionics and so on.
First there are two kinds of strikes but the point is moot since you don't have a choice of which one hits you. A
negative lightning strike will usually just cause some pitting at the exit point and it can affect some instruments. Because lightning is considered part of flying, aircraft must show they can take strikes as part of certification. So, your instruments and the electrical systems are shielded and grounded so the main thing after taking a strike is to just continue to fly the airplane.
A
positive lightning strike, somewhat rare as it is estimated to be only 10% of the strikes, is about 10 times bigger than a negative strike and it tends to knock stuff off the airplane such as parts of ailerons, flaps, antennae, etc.
And aircraft that are made solely of composite material may be at risk. In Germany a few years ago, a composite sailplane took what is thought to be a positive strike. The strike BLEW up the sailplane. Fortunately both occupants were wearing chutes and survived.
The greatest risk for lightning is crossing the ramp to get to/from the airplane while a storm is brewing.