Flight Training - June 2013 - 43

electrons from rising particles of ice and
semi-frozen ice and deposits them on
descending particles. Since electrons have
negative charge, a strong area of negative charge builds up in the lower parts of
the thunderstorm while the storm’s top
becomes positively charged.
2. Since like charges repel each other,
the cloud’s area of negative charge creates
an area of positive charge under the cloud.
Eventually, the attraction of the opposite
charges causes lightning to flash from the
cloud to the ground.
3. Now and then a “bolt from the blue”
lightning flash can hit the ground as far
as 25 miles from the cloud. Lightning also
flashes within clouds and from clouds to
the air around them.
A lightning flash that hits the ground
begins with a dim stepped leader (the
classic zigzag lightning pattern) making its
way from the cloud to the ground. The air
has high resistance to the flow of electricity, but the attraction between the negative
charge in the cloud and positive charge on
the ground is strong enough to overcome
air’s resistance.
As it zigzags toward the ground, the
stepped leader creates a negative channel
of ionized air, which conducts electricity. When the leader nears the ground,

streamers of positive charge—attracted
by the stepped leader’s negative charge—
move up, often from the highest object
in the immediate area. When a streamer
meets the stepped leader, the powerful
electrical current that we see as lightning
flows up the channel into the cloud. Usually several pulses of electricity follow the
stepped leader’s path, which is why we
see lightning flicker.
Lightning flashes, whether between
parts of a cloud or from a cloud to clear air
around the cloud, follow these steps.
If a stepped leader happens to descend

If you’re touching the airplane or even
standing near it, you could provide the
path to ground. To a lightning flash you
are nothing but a sack of saline solution
that’s a good conductor. Since lightning
takes the path of least resistance to the
ground, it often jumps to a person near an
electrical conductor. Such “side splashes”
cause many lightning injuries.
By the way, even though a lightning
flash can be 50,000 degrees F, lightning
doesn’t cause deep burns since the lightning comes and goes so quickly. Roughly
25 to 30 percent of those hit by lightning,

LIGHTNING IS A BIGGER DANGER TO A PILOT ON THE
GROUND DOING A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION THAN
IT IS AFTER THE AIRPLANE TAKES OFF.
approximately 30 feet to the vertical
stabilizer of an airplane on the ramp, a
streamer from the stabilizer could connect with the stepped leader and send
a current of maybe 100,000 amperes
through the airplane’s aluminum skin and
into the ground. The lightning could jump
to the ground from a wing tip or another
part of the airplane. It might flash through
a wheel to the ground, blowing out a tire
on the way. This sometimes happens
when lightning hits automobiles.

including side splashes, survive. But many
victims suffer random neurological damage that can cause serious problems for
years to come.
The basic lightning safety rule anywhere is: If you hear it (thunder) fear it.
If you see it (lightning) flee it. This means
that anytime you hear thunder or see a
lightning flash in the distance, you should
take shelter in a building with wiring and
plumbing or in a vehicle such as an auto—
with a hard top—or a metal airplane. In

Intercloud flash

1
Bolt from
the blue

Updraft

STEVE KARP

3

2
LIGHTNING is a huge electrical spark jumping between areas of negative and positive charges. 1. Electrons produce a negative charge in lower parts of a
thunderstorm while the storm's top is positively charged; 2. Opposite charges produce lightning close to the ground; 3. Lightning can hit the ground as far
as 25 miles from a storm cloud.

JUNE 2013 FLIGHT TRAINING

/ 43



Flight Training - June 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - June 2013

Flight Training - June 2013
Contents
Member Benefits
Right Seat
Centerline
Letters
Unique Perspective
Success Story
How it Works
Since You Asked
Tech Tip Abeam the Numbers
Final Exam
Training Products
Flying Carpet
Flight Lesson
Accident Report
STALL+YAW=SPIN
LITTLE FISH IN A BIG POND
TECHNIQUE
Weather
Mother Nature's Tantrums
Career Advisor
Tech Talk
Ready or Not?
Creating Glide Gurus
Advertiser Index
Debrief
Flight Training - June 2013 - Flight Training - June 2013
Flight Training - June 2013 - Cover2
Flight Training - June 2013 - Contents
Flight Training - June 2013 - 2
Flight Training - June 2013 - 3
Flight Training - June 2013 - Member Benefits
Flight Training - June 2013 - 5
Flight Training - June 2013 - Right Seat
Flight Training - June 2013 - 7
Flight Training - June 2013 - Centerline
Flight Training - June 2013 - 9
Flight Training - June 2013 - Letters
Flight Training - June 2013 - 11
Flight Training - June 2013 - Unique Perspective
Flight Training - June 2013 - 13
Flight Training - June 2013 - Success Story
Flight Training - June 2013 - How it Works
Flight Training - June 2013 - Since You Asked
Flight Training - June 2013 - Tech Tip Abeam the Numbers
Flight Training - June 2013 - Final Exam
Flight Training - June 2013 - 19
Flight Training - June 2013 - Training Products
Flight Training - June 2013 - Flying Carpet
Flight Training - June 2013 - 22
Flight Training - June 2013 - Flight Lesson
Flight Training - June 2013 - Accident Report
Flight Training - June 2013 - 25
Flight Training - June 2013 - STALL+YAW=SPIN
Flight Training - June 2013 - 27
Flight Training - June 2013 - 28
Flight Training - June 2013 - 29
Flight Training - June 2013 - 30
Flight Training - June 2013 - 31
Flight Training - June 2013 - LITTLE FISH IN A BIG POND
Flight Training - June 2013 - 33
Flight Training - June 2013 - 34
Flight Training - June 2013 - 35
Flight Training - June 2013 - 36
Flight Training - June 2013 - 37
Flight Training - June 2013 - 38
Flight Training - June 2013 - 39
Flight Training - June 2013 - TECHNIQUE
Flight Training - June 2013 - 41
Flight Training - June 2013 - Weather
Flight Training - June 2013 - 43
Flight Training - June 2013 - 44
Flight Training - June 2013 - Mother Nature's Tantrums
Flight Training - June 2013 - Career Advisor
Flight Training - June 2013 - 47
Flight Training - June 2013 - Tech Talk
Flight Training - June 2013 - Ready or Not?
Flight Training - June 2013 - Creating Glide Gurus
Flight Training - June 2013 - 51
Flight Training - June 2013 - Advertiser Index
Flight Training - June 2013 - 53
Flight Training - June 2013 - 54
Flight Training - June 2013 - 55
Flight Training - June 2013 - Debrief
Flight Training - June 2013 - Cover3
Flight Training - June 2013 - Cover4
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