http://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-a-wet-blanket-for-seaplanes-1.1364833

 

I used to drive by Greenwood Lake  a lot and would see a plane tied up to the western shore near the New York Border.

 

 

Why the state issues a dumb law like that is beyond me.

As a pilot in NJ, I would love to have a seaplane rating. There are tons of lakes and waterways around the state in difficult to reach places and several of the airports that I fly into have lakes large enough to fit seaplanes surrounded by airport friendly communities.

 

An older pilot once told me that the restrictions on seaplanes came after a crash that killed the child of a legislator. I can't confirm if that story is true but the law appears to go back at least to 1966. I located a Flying magazine article that mentions the same restriction on landings being restricted to seaplane bases. Unfortunately almost none are left in the state.

 

There are nearby places in NY to get a seaplane rating, but odds are I'll never use it again until I move somewhere else so what's the point?