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Air travel and effect on ears.

Sloop John B

Sloop John B

And any old music will do…
What are the variables involved when on one flight I feel very little issues with changes in air pressure as we land whilst on others I’m practically deaf and can even feel pain in my ears?

I would have presumed that this is all automated and that there should not be such a variance?

Is this actually under the manual control of the pilot?

It was particularly bad during a routine landing in Dublin yesterday. Any aviation experts around who can enlighten me?

.sjb
 
The valves are pneumatic/mechanical devices and can/do vary in performance over time. From memory, an airliner tries to maintain a cabin altitude of 6,000-8,000ft, or 11-12psi. If a valve is performing outside limits, you’ll be experiencing a higher cabin altitude, therefore more discomfort on descent and maybe ascent too.
Certain airlines will put off changing the valve/s until a convenient point, maybe during an overnight ‘A’ check.
 
sorry to hear it affected your ears so much , i get it on trains in tunnels sometimes . sucking boiled sweets helps a bit
 
Last time I flew, just a short hop, I had a eustachian tube infection (I found out the next day), the pain was unreal as my ears could not rebalance pressure.
Blood pressure also plays a part.
 
Different aircraft operate different cabin pressures. The newer types operate at a pressure of an eqvt altitude of around 6000ft, as opposed to 8000ft or so on older types. The A380 and A350 are at the 6000ft mark. Air pressure and air quality does vary considerably by 'plane type. Plus variations in your health can make you more or less susceptible to air pressure variations.
 
Were the flights on the same day? I'd look at human factors as much as aeroplane ones. A cold, an infection, hay fever, allergies, wax build up, how you slept and on what side, etc. can all play a part.
 
simon g said:
Air pressure and air quality does vary considerably by 'plane type.
Click to expand...

The Boeing 787 uses electric motor driven compressors (As did piston engined airliners) to pressurise the air for the cabin. Older airliners use air from the compressor stages of the engines, with the ever present risk of smoke and fumes in the cabin when a donk eats itself.
 
Tony Lockhart said:
The Boeing 787 uses electric motor driven compressors (As did piston engined airliners) to pressurise the air for the cabin. Older airliners use air from the compressor stages of the engines, with the ever present risk of smoke and fumes in the cabin when a donk eats itself.
Click to expand...
Or the smell of fried chicken after a birdstrike into an engine...
 
cjarchez said:
Last time I flew, just a short hop, I had a eustachian tube infection (I found out the next day), the pain was unreal as my ears could not rebalance pressure.
Blood pressure also plays a part.
Click to expand...

curious how blood pressure can affect your ears ?
 
Cruise height pressure is chosen by the airline to some extent, a trade off of comfort against their cost.
Looking upwards while swallowing is the best way to clear your ear
 
Hold you nostrils closed, close mouth and try to blow out of your ears.... gently...
Believe it or not, I get the 'ear' thing as I descend into Macclesfield after taking the Cat and Fiddle pass over from Buxton. Must be all of 1500 ft.
 
As mullardman says. I have to do it 4 or 5 times on every flight I am on, without fail, as the plane descends. I can tell when I need to do it as I start to go deaf.

On my first ever flight, aged about 18, I didn't know the trick and went completely deaf, accompanied by the sensation of hot lances being driven through my eardrums. It lasted for several hours, and was terrifying.
 
Always fly with some Fisherman's Friends (original flavour) in your pocket and have one at top of descent. Works every time!
 
I had a cold when I first flew, it was awful. I was crying with the pain. No problems since, but the ability to clear your ears is essential.
 
So predominantly it seem that I'm the variable coupled with a bit of aeroplane and airline variance?

.sjb
 
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