sometimes there is ear comfort and sometimes ear discomfort, is it me or the skill of the flight crew?

Question

is it that some pilots are better than others in pressurising or depressurising the cabin?

Answer 1

change in altitude is what causes discomfort. It is the air inside your body that is equalizing with the changing outside air pressure. Pressurizing the cabin prevents your ear drums from bursting at cruising altitudes. pressurization is all automatic.

Answer 2

Esq, I'd like to correct some of your misconceptions. The pilots do NOT control the pressurization. The controls available to the pilot are a simple on/off switch, and an altitude control into which we set the field elevation at the intended landing point. Pressure controllers and engine bleed air take care of the amount of pressure delivered to the cabin. Everything is automatic. Depressurization of the cabin usually occurs when the mains touch down enough to engage the squat switches. That releases the pressure in the cabin. Again, automatic.

Answer 3

Sorry to say....but it's you.
The pilots don't control the pressurization of the aircraft.
The only thing they control is the speed of climb or descent, and even then they are pretty regulated by air traffic control so even then you probably get a pretty similar descent rate from flight to flight.
The major difference will be you.

The eustachian tube connects your middle ear cavity to your throat and is used to equalize pressure inside your ear to equalize the pressure across the eardrum.
As the aircraft climbs, the pressure in the ear is higher than outside and the tube opens automatically to equalize the pressure.
As the aircraft descends, the ear has lower pressure and the tube contracts. That is why your ears clear automatically as you climb, but when you descned you haev to yawn, swallow or chew to open the tube and equalize the pressure.

Your pysiology will change how your tube reacts. If you have a cold or ear infection you might have swelling in the region of the tube and th tube might not clear. You could rupture your eardrum from the pressure difference (I saw this on a flight once). Don't fly if you have an ear infection!
If you have some stuffiness or sinus congestion it can affect the tube also. It can be very painful sometimes.

Answer 4

The pilots DO control the pressurization of the aircraft. It usually happens immediately after the cabin door is closed before pushback. The Boeing aircraft pressurize to about 3000 to 4000 feet altitude (this is an artificial altitude in the cabin) and the MD/DC-9s, as I recall, pressurize slightly higher, 6000 to 8000 feet cabin altitude. You won't notice much 'discomfort' after takeoff up to cruise altitude. (The person who said they have 'no control' is obviously very confused...pressurized aircraft came into use in the 1940's....)

Pilots do depressurize slowly before landing on descent, that is why you would feel it more . Full depressurization happens on the ground as you are rolling to the gate. I suggest you chew gum or take a decongestant prior to descent from cruise altitude.

As to whether its better from one flight crew to the next, yeah, some are better at it than others. Some may fiddle with it prior to landing and it isn't the most comfortable feeling.

You definitely will notice discomfort if you are suffering from a cold or have allergies. The sinus and eustachian tubes are not equalizing pressure upon descent. Again, you should take a decongestant prior to landing.

Answer 5

All pressurization is controlled automatically - but pilots can override the auto control by directly controlling the outflow valve. Some pressurization controllers are better than others at controlling pressurization - depends on the design of the cabin A/c system.

Answer 6

Ear problems are caused because one cannot equalize the pressure in the inner ear. his is typically done by the valsalva manoeuvre (The Valsalva manoeuvre is performed by attempting to forcibly exhale while keeping the mouth and nose closed. It is used as a diagnostic tool to evaluate the condition of the heart and is sometimes done as a treatment to correct abnormal heart rhythms or relieve chest pain) typically if you have a sinus inflammation as with a cold or allergy, the eustation tube swells so you cannot do this. If you can't valsalva on the ground so that your ears pop maybe you should stay on the ground, today.

Answer 7

Its probably th skill of the technicians in maintaining the pressurisation system. The rate of change may also vary between different aircraft types and manufacturers. My father used to reckon he had discomfort on A300s, but not on B737 or A320.

A lot of variables in the equation, but the drivers up front aren't one of them.

Answer 8

Ok, flight attendants aren't pilots and shouldn't be answering.
Jets are pressurized by air coming from the compressor of the jet engine.
The pressure is regulated by a calibrated valve that lets pressure out when it gets too high.

Answer 9

it is due to changes in barometric pressure, your inner ear has to adjust to the changing ambient pressure which is being lowered as the aircraft gains altitude, chewing gum and yawning helps some folks with the discomfort

Answer 10

Probably not the crew -- pressurising is pretty consistant.