Here's a direct link to Carlton's neat pictures:

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/ltg/plane_japan.php

carlton lane wrote:
>
>
> Allen Boyle's Cosmiclog at www. msnbc.msn,com (click on science and
> technology, then space and Cosmic Log should come up) has a great time
> lapse photo of lightning striking an airliner (using the airliner as
> part of path to ground). You will have to go into the June ARCHIVES to
> find the amazing shots (unless have WEBTV where you will simply have
> to keep going to NEXT until spot MYSTERY OVER THE ATLANTIC) to see
> MYSTERY OVER THE ATLANTIC (attention was drawn to photo by recent
> speculation about Air France liner loss over the Atlantic). The time
> lapse photo has one frame in which the plane seems wiped out (it can't
> be seen due to the brilliance involved). Lightning strokes are not a
> single shot; but, usually, several rapid shots down the same chain
> (zap, zap, zap, zap, etc.). The electrical load in the one "zap" that
> made the plane momentarily disappear was obviously the greatest "zap".
> There are other interesting ASTRONOMY articles along the way to
> MYSTERY OVER THE ATLANTIC (which is almost back to May) that are very
> special and worth your time to peruse and enjoy. The long shadow of
> Saturn's moon Enceladus on Saturn's rings taken by Cassini is a
> spectical that you might have to spend some time waiting to see if on
> a spaceship tour of Saturn. Some NEW (only about a million years old)
> suns near our black hole are another very interesting thing in the
> June archives on the way down to MYSTERY OVER THE ATLANTIC.
> ENJOY,
> Carlton
>