Eyewideshut wrote
"As for your comment regarding cabin altitude rate of climb reaching 2,000-2,500 ft/min without noticeable discomfort, human physiology (say, of the eardrums) is not known to differentiate between ascent and descent – only between rates of change of atmospheric pressure. Therefore your comment about descent effectively supports the logical assumption that the discomfort (especially with 25 children on board) would indeed be very noticeable at a much earlier stage of the takeoff than FL120 when the Horn started beeping."
You are incorrect in that portion of your statement bolded above. If you do some research on the "physiology" of the ear and the function of the Eustachian tube you will discover that it is descending altitude (increase in air pressure) that is the most difficult for the ear pressure to equalise and this causes the discomfort and pain. I first flew in an aircraft at 2 months old and all through my growing up years as well. As a child it was always the descent that caused discomfort not the ascent. I have had 18 years flying aircraft professionally and my experience is the same.
Aliases eh.........your writing style is still the same as it was 12 months ago although I suspect you change computers a little more often than you did then.
Last edited by Trash Hauler; 25th Oct 2006 at 11:37.
Reason: to correct grammar