Lightning strikes to aircraft are not uncommon in aviation. Although they are not dangerous anymore, they can still result in damages to the aircraft and delay airline operations. Passengers can get scared from the lightning strike as well. Especially in the region around Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, AIL can occur during fall and winter as well. Estimations are that 90% of the lightning strikes are a result of the aircraft triggering a lightning strike, rather than being accidentally struck. In order to prevent as many strikes as possible, it is thus key to understand this process. Therefore, this research aimed to gain a as complete as possible understanding of the process of AIL and use this knowledge to supply new information about AIL to pilots, as AIL is not included in most standard pilot trainings. This can allow pilots to become more aware of AIL and prevent more lightning strikes and the corresponding inconveniences from occuring.
Finished internship: January 2021