What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Latest from the museum
Latest Exhibition
Tall Tails
Our Tall Tails exhibition features the mounted tails of the C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion, this new exhibition brings visitors closer to two extraordinary aircraft and the stories they carry. It also highlights the importance of finding a permanent home for them, as the Museum continues to fundraise through the Home for Heroes project.
Tall Tails is on display in our Thérèse Angelo Wing.
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Exhibition
The Mighty Hercules
The Mighty Hercules exhibition is on in the Cochrane Gallery upstairs in our atrium. Come and visit and learn all about this extraordinary aircraft.
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Support Us
Home for Heroes
Join us in building a forever home for New Zealand’s C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion – icons of service.
For more than half a century, these legendary aircraft carried our nation’s courage across the world – in peace, crisis, and discovery. Now, they need a home worthy of their legacy, where their stories of service, innovation and humanity will continue to inspire.
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Birthday Parties
Mission: Best birthday ever
Zip up a flight suit, grab your dog tags, and dive into a fully hosted birthday “mission”. From air & sea adventures for preschoolers to rescue and cadet challenges for older children. Our Programmes team runs the activities, the children get awesome photo moments (and party bags), and you can add catering through our café.
Book a birthday party
Our Aircraft
Explore AircraftMore to explore
ANDOVER DAY! To celebrate 9 July - World Hawker Siddeley Andover Day - we present this tribute to the aircraft.
The first production model of the Hawker Siddeley C.1 Andover took to the skies on this day in 1965.
The Andover was a military variation of the Avro HS 748 airliner and was designed for short to medium range tactical transport operations.
The Avro HS 748 itself was an important bit of aviation history as the last aircraft designed by Avro before the company was absorbed into Hawker Siddeley.
To turn the Avro HS 748 passenger aircraft into a mean military machine, an upswept rear fuselage was added to accommodate a loading ramp, ingenius kneeling landing gear was added, and it was powered by beefier Rolls-Royce Dart engines with massive four-blade propellors.
The RNZAF’s fleet of 10 Andover aircraft was purchased in 1976 to replace the Bristol Freighter. They were allocated to No. 1 and No 42 Squadrons.
Much loved by crews, the Andovers served for 22 years, retiring in 1998.
In all only 34 C.1 Andovers were built with the RAF and RNZAF the main customers. Because of the limited production run, parts became scarce for the RNZAF, which led to the Andover’s retirement.
By comparison, the RNZAF’s C-130H Hercules fleet served for 60 years before the type was replaced by new C-130J Hercules.
More than 2,700 C-130 Hercules have been built and the aircraft is still in production.
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I jumped out of a few of them with the army doing parachute training and continuation courses
Not the most enjoyable aircraft to maintain, but took us a lot of places. Good fun looking back.
Yay what an amazing day!
Just visited the only other surviving Andover at the RAF Museum in Cosford. Life is now complete 🙂
BEAT THAT CABIN FEVER! We are sorry to say the forecast is terrible again, but we've got a ton of fun for the holidays with hunts, games and plenty of ways to keep the kids entertained in a warm and FREE entry destination for children.
Come along today (did we mention we are FREE!) and see our brand new Tall Tails Exhibition. It features the giant fin and rudder sections off our national heroes - the C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion.
Kids (and grandies) can fly a C-130H Hercules through the Drop Zone, try an Aermacchi cockpit for size, pilot our Balloon Busters aircraft, or discover what life was like in a prisoner of war camp in our Captured exhibit.
For just $5 you can go behind-the-scenes to our conservation centre and see the hidden gems in our reserve collection or fly a Mosquito Mission simulator on your choice of dangerous raid.
And for parents or grandparents wanting a breather, our Contact Café team is there to make you a coffee, snack or lunch!
If you’re feeling the petrol pinch, make it a full adventure by taking the bus. Hop on the Hornby bus at the central bus interchange. For full journey planning details visit go.metroinfo.co.nz/, The Air Force Museum is conveniently set up as a destination.
The Air Force Museum is free for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand. There is a $15 charge for international visitors aged over 18 years.
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ORION HOLIDAY: Corporal Suhail Singh was in town on holiday so he dropped by to see his favourite aircraft, NZ4203.
NZ4203 is a Lockheed P-3K2 Orion and just happens to be the only Orion Suhail ever got to fly in before the fleet was retired.
He spent 17 months working on the aircraft at No. 5 Squadron in Whenuapai before
the fleet, which firs arrived in 1966, was retired.
“From a maintenance perspective they were very interesting to work on because everything was very mechanical,’’ Suhail said.
“And of course this is the only one I lew on, so it’s a very special aircraft to me.’’
NZ4203 is in conservation with us, and it is the only one of the fleet of six to be preserved.
With the introduction of the Orion replacement, the P-8 Poseidon, Suhail and No. 5 Squadron have relocated to RNZAF Base Ohakea.
Luckily, he likes working on the replacement.
“It’s a bit more modern and very plug and play if something breaks, but just as interesting,’’ he says.
Thanks for your service and thanks for visiting your museum and your Orion!
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Suhailjeet Singh the goat 🐐
She served us well for 60 yrs
Capt Sohail Singh, a wonderful visit. Not forgetting our Commonwealth history and the sacrifices made by personnel like you.