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Old 21st Oct 2015, 08:01
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mary meagher
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Oxford, UK
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We don't get a lot of lightning in limeyland, chaps, so when about ten years ago a lightning strike near Dunstable caused a K21 glider to disintegrate, it was thoroughly studied by the Air Accident Investigation Board.
They were able to interview the pilot and passenger as well, because when the blast blew the canopy into smithereens, they didn't have to think twice about opening it and departing the glider....on meeting the ground the captain of the glider sustained a sprained ankle, the pax was unhurt. Nice to be wearing a parachute at a moment like that.

The AAIB took the bits of the glider and discovered that the voltage of the strike was considerably higher than the Faraday cage protection required of airliners...
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