08-23-2006, 05:46 AM
If the lightning didn't exit the plane it would become a massive flying capacitor. Does anyone remember the the scene from The Hunt for the Red October where they are trying to hook a helicopter from a sub to ground it? Instead a member of the crew is struck by the cable and he grounds it with his body. The chopper builds and enormous static charge which it will discharge in the form of lightning if it finds a path of less resistance. In the movie it discharges into a guy standing on top of the metal submarine holding a long copper rod and it scrambles his brain.