I'm still curious about the hurtle at max ROD to 10,000'. Many of you go ski-ing at 12,000' That's arduous exercise. The auto pax O2 comes on at 14,000', so it is thought they're not going to die between 10 & 14,000'. So why are we encouraged to max it down to 10,000? I repeat, in real life ear drums have been burst by just such action. A max descent to 14,000' can be argued for, but surely a more relaxed 1500fpm to 12,000' and then 1000fpm to 10,000' will be more than adequate. No-on is going to suffer O2 starvation in this manner, but it could well save severe health damage to anyone on board, and that includes the crew. A ruptured ear drum is an incapacitation due to excruciating pain. I
I suspect this has been a left over from unpressurised a/c days, who were restricted to 10,000 crz, and also the ROD capabilities of older a/c and their O2 systems. I wonder if there has ever been a re-think. Like many things in our environment it often takes 'an event' to bring change. I still question things in the QRH, and guess what, over the years much has changed in them. They are not tablets of stone.