Pilots seek regulation changes to land seaplanes on Kansas waters

Jared and Ashley Garetson, pictured with their two children and one of their aircraft, own Garetson Aviation in Manhattan. The couple brought their children to a House Federal and State Affairs Committee hearing Feb. 12, 2026, to speak in favor of allowing seaplanes to lane on Kansas waters. (Photo submitted by Jared Garetson)

By Morgan Chilson

Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Pilots and business owners asked legislators to pass a proposal allowing them to land seaplanes on Kansas waters, and they said economic development would likely follow. 

House Bill 2687 clarifies regulations to allow aquatic aircraft to take off and land on state waters in areas where boats are permitted to operate, the House Federal and State Affairs Committee heard Thursday. 

Jared Garetson, owner of Garetson Aviation in Manhattan, testified that he could expand his business if Kansas allowed planes with amphibious floats to land. Along with buying, selling and repairing aircraft, his company offers a build-assistant program where customers from around the country can build their “dream plane” at his facilities, Garetson said. 

“It would allow us to give them better educational opportunities so they can get their seaplane ratings in Kansas, they can fly their own airplane and practice in the airplane that they’re going to be using when they’re out on their own missions,” he testified. 

Garetson said flight schools throughout the state would benefit from allowing students to get seaplane ratings. 

“We can expand aviation access without building any new infrastructure,” he said. 

Proponent Rep. Angelina Roeser, a Manhattan Republican, told the committee she is working to obtain her private pilot’s license. 

“Currently, seaplanes, also known as float planes, are effectively prohibited from taking off, landing and operating on Kansas water,” she said. “It is due to a patchwork of unclear statutes right now, and in preliminary conversations, we are finding that there was a lot of gray area regarding these seaplanes.”

While the state doesn’t explicitly ban seaplanes, statutes create confusion for pilots and effectively limit opportunities for seaplane pilots to operate, Roeser said. Right now, someone could fly a seaplane in Kansas but they would land on a runway and not on water because the Kansas laws are difficult to interpret, she said.   

The Federal Aviation Administration strictly regulates seaplane pilots, and once on the water, the planes are subject to navigation rules that apply to boats, Roeser said. 

“In short, there are already significant safeguards for seaplane aviation,” she said. 

Roeser said surrounding states, including Missouri and Oklahoma, allow seaplanes to operate. 

“As the air capital of the world, I really do believe that Kansas should have clear, modern statutes that reflect the current aviation practices,” Roeser said. “HB 2687 does provide that clarity. It affirms that seaplanes are a lawful aircraft in Kansas, and it removes unnecessary regulatory uncertainty that currently prevents access to otherwise suitable water landing sites.”

Committee members asked questions about economic development and about maintaining safety when planes land on water. 

Garetson said after the meeting that the biggest advantage for his business will be flight training. 

“Some of these customer planes that we’re building, we could offer amphibious floats on them and guys could train in their airplanes here locally,” he said. 

About 95% of Garetson’s business comes from outside of Kansas, and he said HB 2687 would allow him to service customers with amphibious planes.

Harrison Deaton, Roeser’s flight instructor, told the committee that safety is regulated by the FAA. Seaplanes would drop to about 500 feet above the lake and make sure they have a clear landing area that wouldn’t interfere with boats or people in the water, he said.

This article was republished with permission from the Kansas Reflector. The Kansas Reflector is a non-profit online news organization serving Kansas. For more information on the organization, go to its website at www.kansasreflector.com.