I don't drive planes nor busses. I'm a passenger: The back seat(s) of passenger cars are often fixed too. I wouldn't be surprised to find that the bus driver's seat is powered.

I do drive cars, though, and sometimes other people's cars. I'd much rather be able to adjust while driving so that I can have better control over the car than have to fumble with levers, which might propel me back far enough that I cannot brake. Heck, I might have been having to adjust because I didn't realize how far i needed to press the brake in the first place.

Well, you shouldn't start driving before having verified that you can reach all commands, and that brakes work, the standard checklist, JFYI:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29603532

Direct link:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/71bus/page1.jpg

> what about airplane […] seats?

Modern business and first class seats are indeed powered.