Abstract: An airplane seat that affords extra protection for a passenger is provided. The seat has a slidingly mounted seat bottom that can slide from a front side of the seat back to a rear side of the seat back. In this way a single seat can provide a safer, rear-facing seat for use during take-off, landings and any emergency situations as well as a conventional front-facing seat for use during normal flight. The sliding of the seat bottom is automatic and is powered by the airplane through either electric motors or hydraulic/pneumatic cylinders. For additional passenger protection the legs of the seat are equipped with a shock absorbing system.