Originally Posted by
overthewing
As humble SLF, I do know when a plane is descending, because my ears react with distressing sensitivity. I could probably tell you how high we are by how deaf I am, and how much swallowing / yawning I'm having to do. Even small changes in altitude affect me. I often wonder if professional flight crew are less bothered than I am? I can't imagine dropping 37,000 ft + without being well aware of it.
No, you know it's cabin pressure is changing.
Typical pressure is equivalent to an altitude of 8,000' and for most of it's descent AF447 was above that level, so cabin pressure should have been constant down to that altitude.
Of course once it started increasing cabin pressure the occupants may well have felt the pressure changes. However whatever caused the problems happened way, way above 8,000' and pressure changes would not have been a clue.
The flight crew were well aware there was a problem but they failed to realise they were stalled. They should have realised they were dropping like a stone - the variometer would have told them that - but I suspect the vertical acceleration wasn't that obvious.