Originally Posted by Microburst
It is a fact that if you descend too fast ( or faster than planned) you will have a higher cabin V/S than planned. Even at 500 fpm you may suffer pain if your ears are sensitive.
- you are not reading Glueball's post correctly! The Rate of Descent of the cabin is FIXED by the manufacturers at a figure - 500fpm is typical. A rapid descent does NOT increase this. You can, however, change the rate of descent of the cabin by selecting a different rate on the panel if you wish. It doesn't matter if you come down from 35000' in 1 minute or 15 - the cabin will descend at 500fpm. What THEN happens is (as you say in one of your posts) - you 'catch the cabin' ie the cabin pressure is such that the INWARD relief valve opens (designed to stop the hull squashing like a coke can) and the cabin THEN descends at a higher rate (which is often painful to many) until it is back in 'normal' range.
If anyone suffers 'pain' at 500fpm then they are stuck because that is what they are going to get! There is little a crew can do to correct this rate. I once had to level off and select a lower cabin rate (and slower descent) to cope with a medical problem but it is unusual. There are other 'tricks' to help with rapid descents - but not for this forum.
Incidentally - the best way to cope with 'sticky ears' is to ensure you start Valsalva either just before or very early in the descent rather than wait until pressure has built up in your ears. If you remember that the cabin does not normally start descent until a thousand or so feet below cruise, then as soon as you hear the engines throttle back, start puffing! Yawn as well.
I am not convinced at all by 'minstermineman's' theory - the pressure Valsalva generates is insignificant.
I speak from a painful experience when as a young inexperienced QFI I agreed to do circuits (1000') with a bad cold due to shortages, thinking it would be fine. I can assure you the last 1000' is the worst - that is where my ears blocked
EDIT: Thanks to FE Hoppy I now know the AB programmes up to 750fpm max R of D.