>>> Fly around the darn thing.
The longest CONFIRMED distance of a lightning strike is 93 miles from it’s originating thunderstorm. Unconfirmed — 400 miles.
I’ve been 2 miles ABOVE the tops of a t-storm I’ve positively painted with onboard radar, in CLEAR air at night (stars visible), and still got severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean, in a DC-10, that nearly crippled the aircraft.
You don’t have to be very near dense, moist, electrically-charged oceanic air to totally screw up your day.
>>I’ve been 2 miles ABOVE the tops of a t-storm I’ve positively painted with onboard radar, in CLEAR air at night (stars visible), and still got severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean, in a DC-10, that nearly crippled the aircraft.
Due to your experience, is it possible that the airplane was struck by lightning on the nose and temporarily blinding the crew while in severe turbulence? I have heard this has happened before. Please offer your thoughts.