ABSTRACT
The results from a detailed analysis of electromagnetic and current measurements during 39 lightning strikes to an airborne CV-580 aircraft are presented and discussed. It is concluded that 35 of the strikes were triggered by the presence of the aircraft in the vicinity of a highly charged region. The triggering mechanism appears to indicate that the negatively charged aircraft approached a positive charge center and encouraged the formation and propagation of leaders from the positive charge center and the aircraft. The remaining four events are shown to be cloud-to-ground strikes in which the aircraft was in the main channel in two cases and in a branch in two others. Representative examples of electromagnetic and current data are presented and discussed in detail to justify these conclusions.
