  We investigate the influence of ultrashort laser filaments on high-voltage
discharges and spark-free unloading at various repetition rates and wind
conditions. For electric fields well below, close to and above the threshold
for discharges, we respectively observe remote spark-free unloading, discharge
suppression, and discharge guiding. These effects rely on an indirect
consequence of the thermal deposition, namely the fast dilution of the ions by
the shockwave triggered by the filament at each laser shot. This dilution
drastically limits recombination and increases the plasma channel conductivity
that can still be non-negligible after tens or hundreds of milliseconds. As a
result, the charge flow per pulse is higher at low repetition rates.
