The good news is, we’ve finally heard about an airplane seating design that doesn’t involve stacking passengers on top of each other or forcing travelers to stare at each other awkwardly. The other news is that the plan for an observation deck built for two atop an airplane could either sound like a dream come true or a nightmare scenario fully realized.

When I was a young thing, riding the rails of the Midwest to see my grandparents over the holidays, nothing was better than climbing the stairs to the train’s observation deck — essentially a bubble that allowed anyone sitting inside to feel like they were getting to see everything those down below were missing with that paltry view.

The same experience on a plane might be somewhat terrifying, or, depending on who you ask, totally tempting. Here’s where a company called Windspeed Technologies comes in, with its SkyDeck design, what it calls “the next exciting experiential in-flight entertainment for VIP aircraft owners and the airline industry.”

The SkyDeck system will depend on what kind of aircraft is involved, and will then either use an elevator or a staircase to ferry one or two passengers up to the clear canopy perched on the top of a plane.

Lest you’re afraid of say, a bird smacking into your transparent perch and ending your life, Windspeed says the bubble is “made of similar high-strength materials as those used to build the canopies of supersonic fighter jets.”

Again, that vantage point might not be for everyone.

“It’s like the first time you go on a roller-coaster ride,” Windspeed CEO Shakil Hussain told CBS Moneywatch . “This is quite revolutionary, but over time it’s going to be used by folks who want to have a better view when they fly.”

It will likely be awhile before this idea comes to fruition — the SkyDeck design’s patent and trademark are still pending.

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