The thought just came across my mind and I simply cannot think of a good answer, especially not knowing much about the mechanics of it all.
In: Engineering
There are engineering reasons for pusher props on boats and puller props on planes: weight distribution, what happens when cavitation occurs, turbulence and drag, etc. There are also engineering solutions to putting puller props on boats and pusher props on planes.
There is another factor: tradition. It is traditional to have puller props on planes. Ask a kid to draw a plane, and they will put the propeller on the front. When that kid grows up to become an aircraft designer, she will put the propeller on the front by default. Sure, she could put the propeller on the rear, but she has to sell that plane to the public, and the public wants a normal looking plane.
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