<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Blumie:
I may be wrong, but I believe that the principal risk of lightning storms is not to the aircraft, but rather to the ground crew running around a wide open tarmac. That, I believe, is the reason you'll see takeoffs suspended during the lightning storm. Landings can continue as normal, but passengers may have to wait for the storm to abate before their luggage is unloaded.</font>
This is correct, I believe the rule is that if lightning is observed within 3 miles of an airport, ramp operations stop and the rampers must seek shelter...
Also, a little unrelated but still interesting...the moon mission Apollo 12 was struck by lightning about 78 seconds after liftoff and went all the way to the moon and back safely...
N674UW