Yesterday, we were on approach to ATL at the end of the 16 hour direct flight from South Africa. It was dark and raining when we were struck resulting in something like a ball lightning in the first class cabin. Aircraft are struck from time to time but this effect is rare. Being a pilot for nearly 40 years, I have been struck twice in general aviation aircraft--once on the prop and once over the Atlantic, but this event was different. Have you seen ball lightning?
Yep, right wing tip American Airlines DC-10 , Climbing to cruise at 21,000 over Lake Michigan from ORD to Detroit Metro. 1985. All cabin power lost for. minute or two, then began to flicker back on. Resulting thunder clap shot the plane violently to the left..... Scared the crap out of all on board, but the Captain came on immediately with a slight southern and calm drawl to announce what we just experienced was a “static discharge” and that all was well with the plane.
A few years ago while driving through Dallas in a heavy downpour, I saw a glowing, round, super bright ball descending slowly from the sky. It hit a radio tower and all hell broke loose. Took me a while to figure out what I had just seen, but came to the conclusion it was ball lighting.
I've herd of ball lightning. But only saw it in Documentry films or maybe some movie. They used to say. Lightning never strikes in the same place. I've been hearing different.
My wife and I were in row 4 and we both saw something near the ceiling at the bulkhead in front of row 1, which was not that far. We first heard the sonic boom, the cabin lights were knocked off line and there was something and then it was gone.
My parents often told the story wherein their home was struck by, what they assumed to be, ball lightning. It entered the front screen door (summertime without AC), went around the 4 walls of the main living room and exited the front screen door once again. Mom made fun of Dad saying he ran around the house looking for a flashlight to see if the house was on fire. Lights were out and any fire would have been easily seen, even without a flashlight...
I have seen hundreds of lions during prior trips to Tanzania that we did not look for any. We looked for and saw the elusive and rare painted wolves 4 consecutive days. Of course, we saw many other things like the rare 5 legged elephant.
Those look like African wild dogs. Guess they call them painted wolves so they sound sexier. Always wanted to see giraffes in the wild... and a pangolin.
Yes African wild dogs is a common name used. “Their scientific name is Lycaon pictus – which translates directly as painted wolf and reflects their mottled caramel and brown fur. The Lycaon genus is more closely related to wolves than domestic dogs.” We have been within touching distance of giraffes may times. I had one eating over my tent in the Serengeti. Here are a few I took earlier this week in South Africa.
Nice pics, bet it was a nice trip. I fly a lot for work...... was getting close to Appleton WI and heard a boom and flash of light... the power flickered and we dropped to what seemed like a few thousand feet pretty quick.... the pilot said we were struck by lightning but everything was ok...the woman next to me grabbed and held my hand hard for the remainder of the trip (about 10 minutes). We were almost there so flew over the lake really low which seemed weird... we landed and Appleton which is a really small airport ( i think 6 gates). I was in line waiting for my rental car and i heard over the loudspeaker something like "if you are on the Delta Detroit flight, sorry its canceled as the plane that just arrived was hit by lightning and deemed unsafe to fly" ... 2 weeks later i was heading out to my barn in a nasty thunderstorm and stopped to watch the lightning.... "Boom" a bolt hit a tree less than 100 yards from me..... it was incredible.... since some people say bad things come in 3's, i didn't go outside in the rain for a long time
I have never seen a pangolin. I was waiting at an aardvark burrow this week but he never came out. They are nocturnal. I did see a leopard with an impala up a tree one night in the rain.
Many years ago I seen ball lighting hit a transformer and roll across the line down to the ground. It was something to see but not sure that I would want to see it again. They did have to replace the transformer.
Sounds bad for the Impala! This is still one of my absolute favorite videos on all of Youtube. Have you been to where this took place? I would love to whale watch close enough to get wet!
Yes we were based in the SABI SABI private preserve which is part of Kruger or contiguous, depending on how you look at it.
I was landing at Norfolk, MA (now closed) back in the late '70s or early '80s when I became aware of a blue disc that apparently attached itself to the prop tips. I knew that it was St. Elmo's fire (static electricity) and it was harmless, But although it was beautiful, it was also distracting as hell. Norfolk didn't have runway lights, so a night landing really did require the full attention of the pilot, and the illuminated propeller didn't help.
