Seaplanes compare favorably to other forms of mechanized transportation, including boats and automobiles.

Seaplanes have a number of environmental advantages over motorized boats. They do not store or discharge oily bilge water or sewage, and are not treated with toxic anti-fouling paints. Unlike many boats, exhaust gases from seaplane engines are discharged into the air, well above the water’s surface, where it can dissipate without significantly impacting water quality.

Aviation fuel does not contain MTBE, a toxic additive found in automotive and marine fuels. Furthermore, aviation fuel is not mixed with oil, and thus contains a fraction of the oil and oil residue found in a two-stroke marine exhaust.

A seaplane’s propellers are entirely above the water, and thus do not disturb sediments or marine life. Most seaplanes generate a wake of only two to three inches in amplitude. And although seaplanes generate noise levels comparable to large motorboats, that noise lasts only the 20 to 60 seconds that a seaplane requires to take off and depart the area.

Seaplanes and cars are comparable in direct environmental impact, but seaplanes are distinctly better for the environment when indirect impacts are considered. Whereas seaplanes require only a body of water and suitable beach, dock, or ramp, automobiles require an extensive network of roadways that are expensive to build and maintain, occupy valuable land, and adversely affect water quality, soil quality, and wildlife.