Originally Posted by RNE

Actually, none of the seats have windows. Seats have cushions, armrests, headrests, and such, but no windows. At least, that is, not the coach seats. First class seats have small windows… into the soul. Not something for the fainthearted to peer inside, believe you me. The first aircraft seat was invented by Piero J. Seato, an Italian aristocrat of the Fifteenth Century. He was the hapless test pilot of that whacky corkscrew flying machine thingy Leonardo da Vinci invented. Piero insisted—over Leo’s objections—that the craft have a seat. Designed by Piero, Michelangelo was commissioned to do the work and in short order produced a chair of marble and gold. Piero was well pleased, but the laws of aerodynamics were not. Piero and craft met an ignominious end at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. No, not that Eiffel Tower. The first Eiffel Tower. The one built in Pisa, Italy. Today, all that remains of that magnificent structure is one of the four sloping “legs” of the tower. Ah, what a wonder it was. Put Paris' second-rate tower to shame. Anyway, that is the story of the first airplane seat. By the way, the J in Piero’s name stands for Jumpo (his mother’s maiden name). Hence, the jump seat you hear about on airplanes today. It’s still called Jumpo Seato on Alitalia airplanes.