Hate tiny airliner windows? Say hello to the Skydeck

Saturday, December 12, 2015, 1:40 PM - Want to rise above the weather? Tired of looking down on it through the cramped porthole of an airliner? Also, do you have a few thousand dollars to spare?

If the answer to all of these is "yes," say hello to the Skydeck, featured in the video above from aerospace firm Windspeed Technologies.

Essentially, it's an egg-shaped cockpit, designed to be mounted on the top of an airliner, that will allow viewers an unrestricted view of the skies above and Earth below.

As for getting up there, there's a couple of options. Option one, above, involves a little mini-elevator, while option two, below, features a simple staircase.

"The aim was to create the next exciting experiential in-flight entertainment for VIP aircraft owners and the airline industry," the designers write on their website. "For the airlines, it could be an additional source of revenue, as passengers could be charged on a pay-per-view basis."

Airlines may need to charge a hefty premium to make it worth their while. Skydeck's inventor, Shakil Hussain told Mashable, it'll cost $8-25 million to install one, with the higher figure linked to larger widebody aircraft.

Aside from airlines, the filthy rich will have be able to install one on smaller corporate jets, although Hussain concedes those will likely be limited to one-seater models.

You'll have to hold your breath a bit before this becomes a reality, if it ever does. The company is seeking certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency, and the Skydeck is at least 18 months away from becoming a real-life, functional product.

"It would take a customer to order one to move forward," Windspeed's engineering director, Bruce Stewart said told Mashable. "But we've had interest from a company in D.C. Both Boeing and Airbus have contacted us as something they're interested in."

SOURCES: Windspeed Technologies | Mashable

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