Came across a Boldmethod article this morning about ear block and learned that the pressure is worse in small unpressurized cabins. Totally makes sense, just never thought about it. The article, as well as comments from other pilots, refer to debilitating headaches causing extreme disorientation.
I’m now slightly concerned because I’ve never been able to scuba dive because I can’t equalize the pressure in my ears at the bottom of a six foot pool. In my intro flight we got up to 5500’ MSL on a warm Southern California day and I didn’t have any issues. With the exception of a handful of occasions I’ve never had any issues on commercial flights either.
Does anyone have any experience with this or known of a student pilot that had to discontinue training due to severe ear block?
I fly and I dive, COMPLETELY different pressure issues. Humans naturally adapt to less pressure and it’s seldom an issue (we do it all day long in elevators, hikes, visiting Denver, flying in commercial planes, etc.) unless perhaps you have some blockage. Going underwater is not something we normally do and it’s a pressure increase on very sensitive tissue. Again very different and shouldn’t be an issue.