Cabin Presurization and ear discomfort

[.Ben]

i have a question i haven't been able to wrap my head around and figured you guys here would have my answer in no time i occasionaly experience fairly uncomfortable ear pain when on commercial airliners during the DESCENT only (such as when flying with a cold), never during a climb. however when flying light aircraft i never feel any discomfort at all. i had origionally thought that the obvious thing was the altitude difference (6000ft vs 40000ft) but as i got more into aviation i learned that most airliners are presurized to about 8000 feet or less /"Cabin Altitude"

If i understand correctly an airliner with a presurized cabin to say 8000ft the presure at cruising altitude in the cabin would be the same as being at 8000ft in an unpresurized cabin?

if this is the case why have i never noticed any sign of ear discomfort in a light aircraft at 8000ft but moderate (more much) discomfort in a presurized aircraft?

thanks avcanada!

[boeingboy]

I would say the rate of altitude change is the issue. Your eveyday puddle jumper you are used to flying usually does not decend at 500 - 1000 feet per min.

[slowstream]

i have a question i haven't been able to wrap my head around and figured you guys here would have my answer in no time i occasionaly experience fairly uncomfortable ear pain when on commercial airliners during the DESCENT only (such as when flying with a cold), never during a climb. however when flying light aircraft i never feel any discomfort at all. i had origionally thought that the obvious thing was the altitude difference (6000ft vs 40000ft) but as i got more into aviation i learned that most airliners are presurized to about 8000 feet or less /"Cabin Altitude"

If i understand correctly an airliner with a presurized cabin to say 8000ft the presure at cruising altitude in the cabin would be the same as being at 8000ft in an unpresurized cabin?

if this is the case why have i never noticed any sign of ear discomfort in a light aircraft at 8000ft but moderate (more much) discomfort in a presurized aircraft?

thanks avcanada!

Well you have me puzzled on that one.

Airliners cabin altitude are dependant on certified max diff and a/c altitude, most controllers are scheduled to ascend and descend cabins at around 500 FPM, this can fluctuate during the initial climb and decent but will usually settle in fairly quickly at 500 FPM.

Honestly I can't see any reason why you would experience most discomfort in an airliner v.s a small unpressurised a/c.

That is a very strange one

[oldtimer]

I would think the vibration of an unpressurized airplane may help to relieve the vacuum that we all feel and describe as inner ear pressure. I never felt any discomfort in a Navajo or other piston airplanes but it bothered me a bit in the Lear and in the King Air, especially the 200 and 350. Also the dryness of an airliners cabin may be a factor. The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is supposed to solve some of the problems by having a higher pressure differential, therefore a lower cabin altitude. But also, since the cabin is mostly composite and therefore rust and corrosion proof, the cabin humidity will be higher.
Learn the valsalva maneuver to relieve the vacuum. Try yawning vigoursly on descent. Hold your nose and blow gently for a period of time. Do not blow too hard, that is dangerous, blow gently for a few seconds. Chew gum vigoursly on descent. If you feel abdominal discomfort, fart.
Most pressurized airplanes can control the rate the cabin descends at, usually 500 fpm. Most pilots of unpressurized airplanes try to descend at 500 fpm but that takes patience. I used to descend at 1000 fpm on cargo flights with little or no discomfort but I also feel the same ear discomfort during descent in an airliner. Maybe because I am not talking or swallowing as much on an airliner.

[Expat]

I learned that as a scuba diver. Now if they could teach babies.

[1000 HP]

If you feel abdominal discomfort, fart.

Be careful with these. Especially in Indonesia or the Philippines