Coasters & air pressure

Often when I drive down & up in valley, my ears hurt with the increase of air pressure. Sometimes I even pinch my nose & blow gently to equalise the air in my ears. Scuba divers & air travellers do this.

Yet I've never had a problem with coasters, or freefall rides. Why is this?

Anyone have ear trouble while riding?

Just curious.

Taip.

I don't have any technical explainations for you, but when I fly (I'm a pilot) my ears don't usually need popping till around 3 to 5 thousand feet.  I don't know if its the amount of pressure, or just how severe the onset of the pressure change that controls how your ears react.  Usually, slow ascents won't make ears pop, so that's why I think coasters don't effect your ears.

Just curious Raptordude, are you referring to when your in a pressureised cabin, or not?  I fly all the time (commercial airlines) and my ears still pop once in a while during takeoff.

-----------------
- Peabody

 I think the reason is pretty simple – changing elevation by only 300 feet (the current limit for most coaster and free falls) produces very little change in atmospheric pressure.

Peabody-I fly the "puddle jumpers" as the public likes to call them.  Single engine cessna types for the most part- not pressurized at all.

During the summer I went up to North California and I had a cold. So I was really sensitive to presure and took me several days to recover. While I was still recovering I went to SFMW and rode the coasters there. I felt great on the rides, but when I was off them I felt like crap.

When I ride Magnum going down the first drop my ears pop

-------------
-Chad
Track Record- 21

I must admit that I was surprised when I rode Millenium Force and didn't have that problem. Usually its the sudden elevation changes (300 or more feet) that make my ears plug up. Maybe the wind rushing passed your ears down the first drop of Milli equalizes the air pressure, whereas when in a car or a plane your not outside, your inside a controlled environment. I'm no scientist so this is only speculation!
-----------------
Gravity is your friend!

Peabody, it wouldn't really matter, anyway, since pressurized cabins are only pressurized to about 8,000 feet.

You're probably higher than you think when your ears pop on takeoff....those heavies climb FAST.  I, too, fly cessnas, and I can tell you that my ears don't usually pop until about 2000 feet or so. 

-----------------

Have you ever noticed that when your ears are clogged, yawning will (sometimes) unclog them?  Perhaps the reason you don't suffer the same problems is that your mouth is open wide (screaming) as you fly down the hills?  ;)
-------------------------
Check out my updated website!

Nice to see some fellow pilots around here digi.