What weather phenomenon is always present with thunderstorms and can affect aircraft operations due to electrical activity?

• A. Lightning
• B. Thunder
• C. Hail
• D. Rain

Answer: (A)

Lightning is the electrical activity that accompanies a thunderstorm and can affect aircraft operations. It’s a rapid discharge of electricity through the atmosphere that can strike a plane in flight, potentially damaging the airframe and disrupting or damaging electrical and avionics systems. Because of this hazard, pilots avoid thunderstorms and rely on weather information and radar to navigate around them. Thunder, rain, and hail may also occur with storms, but the electrical discharging nature of lightning is the key factor that makes thunderstorms particularly challenging for flight.