Aviation is the newest mode of transportation and during the past several years has rapidly gained a prominent place in passenger miles covered. There are medical problems in aviation as in every other form of transportation. The most frequent problems which confront otolaryngologists are the various forms of aviation deafness. In 1783 Pilatre de Rozier made a balloon ascension and on his descent noticed a rather severe earache. This is the first recorded instance of an injury to the human ear as a result of aviation.1 Today the organ most frequently affected by flying is still the ear. There are two ways in which the ear may be affected as a result of participating in aviation: one is by the noise, and the second is by the changes in atmospheric pressure. The problem of aviation deafness was recognized during the last war, and a large amount of research was done.2