AIRCRAFT AND LIGHTNING

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 July 1936, Page 10

AIRCRAFT AND LIGHTNING

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN LONDON, May 22. The Air Ministry have re-issued infermmation regarding precautions to be taken by pilots against the danger from lighting, owing to the increase in the number of cases in which aircraft in flight have been affected. In nearly all cases recorded, according to the Ministry, the following appears to have been the determining circumstances:

Meteorological reports indicated the possibility of thundery conditions. The aircraft flew into or close below the clouds before being struck. The aircraft had the radio aerial trailing.

The following precautions are advised, whenever the circumstances permit of their adoption: Avoid all large cloud masses from [ which showers of rain, hail or snow are falling, especially when meteor-! ological reports give indications of thundery weather: hail is always to be regarded as dangerous. When radio is being used in the aircraft, an increase in the number and' strength of atmospherics will generally indicate that a danger area is being approached. If it is not possible to avoid dangerous areas, the trailing aerial should be earthed and wound in, when little danger is to be expected. Should the aircraft already be in a dangerous area, e.g., in a hail storm, winding in the aerial may be danger-1

ous to the radio operator. j In such a case, the aerial should merelv be earthed and the aircraft flown out of the storm as quickly as possible; if necessary, - it should be flown back on its course to give the operator an opportunity to wind in the trailing; aerial before proceeding through the storm. It is also recommended that the connection of the aerial tp earth should; be made to the aircraft structure out- . side the fuselage. Whenever possible, the aircraft, with fl trailing aerial wound in, should be at

town well below the lowest layer of ny cloud masses encountered.