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.
Learn More
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.
Learn More
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.
Learn More
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
KIWI SHIPPING LANES UNDER ATTACK: On this day in 1940 the New Zealand Shipping Company freighter Turakina was attacked and sunk 500km off the Taranaki coast by the German raider Orion.
The Turakina was completely outgunned by the armed merchant ship in the attack on 20 August 1940 and 36 members of its crew were killed.
Another 21 crew members were rescued and taken prisoner.
After the attack the RNZAF sent up patrols to search for the Orion using TEA flying boats and a De Havilland Dragon aircraft from Ohakea, with no success.
Three Vincents were also sent up to RNZAF Station Waipapakauri to carry out patrols in search of the German raider, but the Orion had escaped.
The Orion returned in November and sank the Holmwood and Rangitane.
The Orion’s attacks showed New Zealand’s waters were vulnerable, and in the long-term led to the bolstering of resources for air cover.
📸Vickers Vincent NZ352 on patrol.
📸The Orion - Wikimedia Commons. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
36 x🫡 🇳🇿
❓MYSTERY AIRFIELD COMPETITION ❓: Can you figure out the identity of this mystery RNZAF airfield from just three pictures?
Put your answers in the comments below and go in the draw to win a beautiful and 'almost' exclusive Air Force Museum of New Zealand mug.
They're round - with roundels.
If you'd prefer a more confidential service email your answer to communications@airfrocemuseum.co.nz and we will get back to you on the quiet.
We have not put a degree of difficulty on this one because we've given up predicting what you people out t#mysteryairfield luck!
#mysteryairfield ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Te Rapa Airforce base?
Rukuhia Hamilton Same Gully,same Hanger ( became James Aviation ) definitely not Ashburton
Rukuhia, south of Hamilton. I grew up across the road from the hanger. the road at the top corner of photo 3 is Lochiel Rd, the golf course
Timaru?
Ashburton. The tower looks similar today
I am going to go with Ashburton due the flat land. Te Rapa has hills closer in But I could be wrong of course.
Ashburton airport (or as it was known back then, RNZAF Station Ashburton).
Looks very much like my control tower I had built, must have been a early pix there was a garage close in the photos I used for reference when designing.
I am glad you people all think its Ashburton but unfortunately it isnt Ashburton but some are correct we do have a replica tower built the same as that one. We also have the best Aviation Museum in New Zealand that has just undergone a 2 million dollar expansion. Pop down for a look next time you're passing its well wworth it.
Went to the Ashburton Museum a couple of months ago. This looks like it could be the Ashburton airfield.
Can I ask a question if possible ??? After VJ day when the airfields were being scaled back , my Dad and a few others ended up somewhere in the Nth Island where all the lil wooden huts were sent to, they were all knocked together early 40s etc ?? He didn't mention guarding other things but maybe there were other things there as well . Anyway , there was no accurate record of how many huts were being dropped in , so they were quietly selling them to farmers all round the place ! I was wondering where that might have been ???
Definitely Rukuhia (Hamilton). Confirmed using the really good Photograph Collection on the Air Force Museum website. Worth a look if you didn't know it was there. airforcemuseum.co.nz/photographs/
Rukahia - now known as Hamilton Airport
Rukuhia (Hamilton)
Ohakea
Te Pirita, Hororata?
Defo Rukuhia
Ohakea
Omaka
Rukuhia .. Waikato.
Te Pirita, near Hororata.
I’m thinking Taieri
Hamilton ?
WW2 emergency airfield near Karaka, south Auckland
I am going with RNZAF Hamilton ... a tough one, many changes since photos taken
View more comments
PICTURE PERFECT: Come along to see our exhibition of the best work of Defence Force Photographers featuring – you guessed it – a lot of RNZAF aircraft!
The brand-new exhibition features 40 stunning images from the portfolios of our eight New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) photographers.
As well as contemporary work, the exhibition features the story of photography as a trade in the RNZAF, which dates back to 1929, and a display of historic cameras taken from our collection.
As well as stunning pictures there’s a lot of history thrown in – including the amazing fact that pictures not always taken on phones in digital form!
Defence Photographers is on now in our upstairs atrium and is FREE!
Our thanks to the talented NZDF team - Petty Officer Chris Weissenborn, Leading Aviator Classification Connor Williams, Corporal Jalesa Nomani, Corporal Maddy Butcher, Corporal Naomi James, Corporal Rachel Pugh, Sergeant Sean Spivey and Corporal Andy Jenkins.
The exhibition is also a tribute to the work of all the hundreds of military photographers who have served since 1929.
We are progressively digitising all their work and there are more than 55,000 historic images in our digital photo library which are free to search and download at fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/fotoweb/
#nzdf ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook