I've always been able to voluntarily dilate my eustachian tubes in order to equalise pressure, without the need to chew, swallow, pinch my nose or make strange expressions.
However, when talking to a couple of friends who are also pilots, they had no idea what I was talking about. Both of them reported that their ears 'pop' when the pressure difference gets too high, but they have no control over when this happens.
I tried to explain that it's possible to open the e-tube on demand, but obviously without being able to point to a specific muscle, it's almost impossible to describe.
The reason I 'manually' equalise pressure is, not just because of the discomfort but also because I notice a significant loss of hearing when a pressure difference exists.
Is it normal to have to regularly equalise ear pressure in order to maintain satisfactory hearing?