When flying at night, pilots adjust the cockpit lighting to brighter mode so that their eyes get used to the bright light in case of a possible lightning strike. Aircraft have a weather radar, which allows pilots to avoid possible thunderclouds along the flight route. Pilots avoid flying during thunderstorms if possible. Thunderstorms are taken into account in the cockpit and in maintenance It might scare you, but it's nothing to worry about. Passengers often notice a lightning strike by a bang and a simultaneous flash outside the aircraft. Due to careful testing, the passengers and equipment inside the aircraft are safe. For an aircraft type approval to be granted, the aircraft manufacturer must demonstrate through extensive certification tests that the aircraft's lightning protection is sufficient. The discharge travels onwards along the outer surface of the aircraft and exits again into the atmosphere, typically from the tips of the wing, control surfaces or the tail of the aircraft. The aluminium fuselage of the aircraft conducts electricity well, and due to that, the lightning discharge does not affect the inside of the aircraft. The edge of the cockpit window is a typical point of impact. Lightning usually strikes an aircraft on the front side of the plane's cockpit. Most often lightning strikes occur during takeoff or before landing when the aircraft is reducing its altitude. Thunderclouds can appear in altitudes between one and over ten kilometres. Individual thunderstorm clouds can normally be avoided, but sometimes pilots have to fly through a thunderstorm, which also increases the risk of a possible lightning strike. Pilots try to avoid thunderstorm clouds and fronts. The aircraft fuselage is designed to withstand lightning strikes
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