Vb's Boeing 737 pressurisation system is no different to EVERY other operator of the same equipment - including QANTAS.
Just to clear up a previous Q & A by
A.H. and
HotDog respectively - the cabin altitude at 20k is MUCH lower than that at 30k, at lower levels the cabin altitude is maintained at sea level (or close to) in the case of Oz & N.Z.
Cabin altitude usually increases with actual aircraft height, and at 20k actual, (without reference to the table) the cabin altitude remains at almost (in the case of Oz & N.Z.) sea level, so there is NO discernible effect.
8,000 feet cabin altitude is the MAXIMUM, and - depending on each individual aircraft types max ceiling (e.g. 37,000' or 45,000') - that will be the max. cabin alt.
From
Capn Bloggs, "
What does happen to your cabin rate of descent if you descend late? Does it/can it exceed 500fpm or this simply not possible because of descent path/drag issues?"
It is possible for the aircraft to "catch" the cabin with high speed (high actual ROD's), in which case the cabin will descend at the same rate as the aircraft.
However, with the 250 knot below 10,000 restriction, this hardly ever happens.
For people not familiar with the valsalva manoeuvre (holding your nostrils and exhaling against them), drinking, or chewing and swallowing has the same effect. (That's the reason candies/lollies are handed out prior to/during descent, by the F/A's
).
Likewise babies crying on descent should be ENCOURAGED by cabin crew, as it gives them relief - better still, try to get Mum to stick the baby on the tit.
Works for me EVERY TIME
Edit - To clarify, cabin "pressure" changed to cabin "altitude".