Can (or do) airplanes fly during thunder/lightning storms?

Question

If so, what protects them from being hit?

Answer 1

Yes but they really try to fly around, or go higher so they can go above the storm

Answer 2

Yes, they can and do. They do try to avoid flying through the thick of it, though, not to avoid being hit by lightning but to avoid being bounced around.

Nothing "protects" them from being hit. In fact, it's not uncommon for planes to take lightning strikes. Usually it's harmless.

Answer 3

Bonding jumpers, and a combination of other materials that allow the fuselage of the aircraft to have good conductivity so in order that a lightning strike would simply flow through the aircraft without causing serious damage or injury to the passengers/crew on board the aircraft.

To illustrate this, take a look at this video;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVr4rgqav...