What happens when lightning strikes a helicopter?

Pretty much all aircraft certified to fly in bad weather (ie: NOT para-gliders, ultra-lights, etc) are designed to be reasonably immune from lightning strikes. But lightning could hit at some vulnerable spot and cause damage. Airplanes are “Faraday” cages that conduct electricity around them but not through them. read more

Protecting helicopters against in-flight lightning strikes is an essential safety aspect, and Airbus Helicopters complies with current regulations (CS/FAR Parts 29 and 27) to protect its aircraft against catastrophic effects from lightning. Two effects must be taken into consideration. read more

The helicopter-triggered lightning strike phenomenon has been found to occur during operations over the North Sea between November and early April when there is usually little or no natural lightning activity in progress at the time. read more