What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Latest from the museum
Latest Exhibition
Victory!
This year marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
A new exhibition, called Victory, marks this significant milestone in world history, and the story of the RNZAF.
Victory includes images and memories of Victory in Europe (VE) Day and Victory over Japan (VJ) Day which have been sourced from photographs, letters, postcards and personal histories in our collection.
Victory includes insights into how Kiwis celebrated, and how they felt.
Many found it difficult to rejoice after so much loss and suffering.
You’re welcome to come along and learn all about the end of World War Two with us. The exhibition is on in our upstairs balcony in the atrium.
Exhibition
The Mighty Hercules
We are delighted to let you know that our latest exhibition, the Mighty Hercules, is now open. Come and visit and learn all about this extraordinary aircraft.
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#Extraordinaryaircraft
Help us build a home for our #extraordinaryaircraft
Our Lockheed C-130H (NZ) Hercules and P-3K2 Orion have had long-term preservation work completed so they can be safely stored while we work on plans for a new permanent exhibition space large enough to house them.
Measuring 29.8m from nose to tail, with a wingspan of 40.5m and a tail soaring to just under 11m high, the Hercules is too large for our current exhibition halls. The Orion is almost as tall and even longer – stretching to 36m thanks to its submarine-detecting tail boom.
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Update
Overseas visitor charge
A $15 entry charge was introduced for all international visitors to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand from 31 March 2025. Tickets available online or from our Welcome Desk on arrival.
We were sorry to have to charge after being free for so many years, but the charge is required to cover rising costs and to contribute to our new $16 million extension to house the newest members of our collection – our historic Hercules and Orion aircraft.
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Our Aircraft
Explore AircraftMore to explore
VOTE FREIGHTER! Meet boy entrant, class of 1956, Rick Oxenham and wife Valerie - Bristol Freighter fans for life!
Rick was 16 (yes 16!) when he left Morrinsville and joined the RNZAF, training as a boy entrant at Woodbourne.
Initially an armourer, he retrained as a navigator and flew Freighters, Dakotas and Hercules, serving in Singapore, Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam.
His final posting was as Executive Officer of the Flying Training Wing at Wigram, before leaving the RNZAF in 1977.
Rick and Valerie loved their life in the RNZAF, bringing up their family and enjoying the comradeship, friendship and support of air force life.
Their favourite aircraft - a joint decision - is the Mighty Bristol Freighter.
They had to bring their wedding date forward so Valerie could fly out to Singapore aboard a Freighter where Rick had been posted for two years, so the aircraft is a favourite.
"Wheels down and welded,'' Rick jokes.
Thank you for your service and for visiting your museum Rick and Valerie.
You can follow their lead and vote for the Freighter here: airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft-of-the-year/
#aoty ##bristolfreighter #rnzafpastandpresent ... See MoreSee Less
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HAVE A SAY WITH TAY TAY ! Taylor Swift (yes, Taylor Swift the barista from our Contact Cafe) finds out which aircraft the Wednesday team at the Air Force Museum are backing to win our annual Aircraft of the Year competition.
John, Chris and Bob can't agree, naturally.
Have your say at: airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft-of-the-ye#aircraftoftheyear2025r2025 ... See MoreSee Less
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Mossy
LEADERBOARD UPDATE! Early votes have been flooding in for our annual Aircraft of the Year competition and our C-130H Hercules has pulled out to a handy lead.
Charles, the mighty Hercules, had snaffled a stunning 38% of the vote less than a week after the polls opened, with the TA-4K Skyhawk in second with 6%; the Bell UH-1H Iroquois third with 5%; and the Lockheed P-3K2 Orion (4%) and Supermarine Spitfire (4%) rounding out the top five.
Is the Hercules simply riding on the coattails of its spectacular landing at our museum earlier this year, or can its lead be sustained?
Can the Avro Anson (currently running at number 6) activate its huge fan base to get up and mount a late charge?
Can the ever-popular Iroquois put its slow start behind it and do it again?
So many questions!
You can have your say at: airforcemuseum.co.nz/events/aircraft-of-the-year-2025/
Vote early and only vote once! Polls close November 16.
#aircraftoftheyear ... See MoreSee Less
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Thanks Air Force Museum of New Zealand im glad 😊 my vote comes true 🥰
Bristol Freighter
Fingers🤞🤞
Come on the Anson!