Lightning Strikes Gliders

Hello all in US-gliderland,
Some time ago, there was an interesting article in Soaring about a
glider being struck by a lightning. I seem to remember a photos of
scourched sneakers, a blown out canopy and other damage. Can anybody
tell me which issue of Soaring this was or if this article is available
online?

Thanks,

Uli Neumann

Hi,

Some time ago, there was an interesting article in Soaring about a
glider being struck by a lightning.

I remember a report on an ASK-21 struck by lightning in the UK. I
have bookmarked

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/group...ty_500699.hcsp

but that link does not work at the moment.

http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~cline/...t%20report.htm

Seems to have the same report I recall.

Ciao, MM
--
Marian Aldenhövel, Rosenhain 23, 53123 Bonn. +49 228 624013.
http://www.marian-aldenhoevel.de
"It's easy to make a small fortune in aviation,
provided you start with a big one"

This almost certainly refers to the UK K21 incident in 1999. I don't
know about the Soaring article, but the UK Air Accident Investigation
Board report is at:

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources...pdf_500699.pdf

Unfortunately the diagrams and pictures which were accessible when the
report first came out are not included in the .pdf.

GM wrote:
Hello all in US-gliderland,
Some time ago, there was an interesting article in Soaring about a
glider being struck by a lightning. I seem to remember a photos of
scourched sneakers, a blown out canopy and other damage. Can anybody
tell me which issue of Soaring this was or if this article is available
online?

Thanks,

Uli Neumann

It was in 2002. The author/pilot is Ken Sorenson.
I found it on this on-line index
http://soaring.aerobatics.ws/Soaring...2_subject.html

SAM wrote:
It was in 2002. The author/pilot is Ken Sorenson.
I found it on this on-line index
http://soaring.aerobatics.ws/Soaring...2_subject.html

In addition, there was a lengthy write up in George Thelen's safety
column in Soaring which is where I recall seeing the scorched sneakers
photo. The pilot was, indeed, Ken Sorenson.

From the online index, I think it was Oct. 1996 but I'd have to check
my magazine archive at home. The staff at the SSA should be able to
help you.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"

GM wrote:
Hello all in US-gliderland,
Some time ago, there was an interesting article in Soaring about a
glider being struck by a lightning. I seem to remember a photos of
scourched sneakers, a blown out canopy and other damage. Can anybody
tell me which issue of Soaring this was or if this article is available
online?

Thanks,

Uli Neumann

Here's a good writeup, UK in 1999 ----

http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/cms_resou...pdf_500699.pdf

Bob Johnson

Thanks, Brent. That was the one I was looking for. The one about the
British K21 is also very educational.
Thanks to all that resonded.

Uli Neumann

"GM" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all in US-gliderland,
Some time ago, there was an interesting article in Soaring about a
glider being struck by a lightning. I seem to remember a photos of
scourched sneakers, a blown out canopy and other damage. Can anybody
tell me which issue of Soaring this was or if this article is available
online?

Thanks,

Uli Neumann


Did you see some BIG SPARKS lately, Uli?

Bill Daniels

A glider is an interesting from the point of view of lightning.

The pilot sits in one of the lightning zone 1 area (i.e. the nose area)
which is prone to direct lightning strike attachment. In more more
conventional light aircraft the cabin is generally in zone 2 which is
subject to flash over only ... not direct attachment.

If lightning strikes an unprotected composite aircraft such as the forward
fuselage of a glider it will in all likelihood blow a hole through the skin
and attach to something metal (such as the rudder pedals). The arcing /
plasma etc can then cause an expansion of the air in the cavity (cockpit).
This phenomina has been responsible for blowing radomes off the nose of jet
aircraft. I assume that this is what blew the canopy out on this glider (I
still need to read the reports).

Composite structures in powered aircraft and helicopters are normally
protected from direct lightening strike in Zone 1 via a fine copper or
aluminium mesh embedded in the laminate (outer layer). These meshes are
generally manufactured by one of a couple of companies (Astrostike or
Exmet). The certification standards for gliders (JAR 22) do not however
require this as does say FAR 23 for light aircraft. It would be interesting
to know if these are isolated incidents (after all gliders don't make a
habit of flying near thunder clouds) or if it is more common than we might
all have imagined.


"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
...

"GM" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all in US-gliderland,
Some time ago, there was an interesting article in Soaring about a
glider being struck by a lightning. I seem to remember a photos of
scourched sneakers, a blown out canopy and other damage. Can anybody
tell me which issue of Soaring this was or if this article is available
online?

Thanks,

Uli Neumann


Did you see some BIG SPARKS lately, Uli?

Bill Daniels

It would be interesting
to know if these are isolated incidents (after all gliders don't make a
habit of flying near thunder clouds) or if it is more common than we
might
all have imagined.=20
################################################## ####################

Try reading Philip Wills book in which he describes taking a wooden
glider into a CuNim and the consequences of that action - he landed the
glider, but it was a write off.

In the UK, it isn't always obvious that the large cloud you are under
has turned into a monster, although the first indication is usually the
difficulty one has in staying clear of it due to the off the clock lift
one encounters in that situation.

Rgds,

Derrick Steed