I am no weather researcher, and have been in the airline business for over 30 years, in both turboprops and jets. Can’t say I’ve had many direct encounters with lightning or discharges, thankfully (other than the usual St. Elmo’s Fire), but I took one direct hit at night to the number 1 VHF antenna in an Airbus a few years ago, which is above and just aft of the cockpit. Hand flying through light turbulence and green all over the radar, with a little yellow and red around. It was SO loud and the brightest light I have ever witnessed. The LCD screens all went FULL bright in response, which helped me see them after a blink and a mutual “wtf” glance between us. I never want to experience that again, lol.

One other time, we were climbing out of IAH, headed back to MIA at night. We were up high at cruise altitude, fully enveloped in stratus between some big cells in the area, although none were closer than maybe 30 miles or so. We had some radio static and St. Elmo’s as expected, but then I started to notice a light bluish glow envelope the cockpit and quickly intensify and start to focus out directly in front of us, turning into what I’d describe as similar to a large Star Wars Light Sabre that grew like Pinocchio’s nose out ahead of the aircraft. In maybe 10 seconds it had reached out what seemed like 30 to 40 feet ahead of us, and then just suddenly flashed like a small discharge and was gone. No sound at all.