Lightning striking a plane

[kwicky]

Why are the occupants immune from a lighning strike as the plane cannot be earthed.

[Loosehead]

The plane is constructed to guide the lightening around the plane. "Earthing" is largely irrelevant most lightening does not hit the ground, it is discharges between clouds, sometimes referred to as "sheet lightning". Lightning that does it the ground will do it regardless of conductivity. Lightning conductors channel the power to earth when they are on the ground, when in the air the plane's conductor channels the energy through the plane and out the other side.

[sddsddean]

Because of the 'Faraday Cage Effect'
http://www.physics.gla.ac.uk/~kskeldon/PubSci/ exhibits/E3/

[kwicky]

Thanks for the info. Today they have just anounced the building of a superjet Boeings Dreamliner. Rather than made of metal it is constructed of non-metallic materials so I presume this is still Ok.