What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Latest from the museum
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
Latest Exhibition
Victory!
It is 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
Our Victory exhibition, upstairs in the atrium, 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.
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
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.
The charge is required to cover rising costs and to contribute to our new $20 million extension to house the newest members of our collection – our historic Hercules and Orion aircraft.
Learn More
Our Aircraft
Explore AircraftMore to explore
YOU CAN'T PARK THERE MATE: Here's a Fleet Air Arm Seafire after crashing on the flight deck of HMS Indefatigable after a parking/landing snafu.
Landing a Seafire on a tiny, rolling landing deck at sea must be no mean feat, so thre is no judgment here!
The aircraft is from either No. 887 Squadron or No. 894 Squadron.
The photo, reference number 2010-344.79, is from the personal collection of Bruce Petrie, a New Zealand pilot serving in the Fleet Air Arm.
His significant photo collection is a fantastic resource, and you can access it here:
fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/fotoweb/archives/5023-Bruce-Petrie-personal-col#youcantparktherematek#supermarineseafirei#hmsindefatiguablefatiguable ... See MoreSee Less
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FREE SCARVES FOR VETS: We’ve got some free woolly scarves* to give away to veterans thanks to our friends at Operation Wrapped in Remembrance.
Yes – you read it correctly!
Come along to the Air Force Museum and tell us your service story, and we’ll give you a free scarf knitting with love by the Wrapped in Remembrance team.
#OperationWrappedinRemembrance is a community initiative created by Ashburton good sort Dellwyn Moylan to honour military veterans by knitting, crocheting, or weaving scarves and other warm items.
We’re a drop off-point for knitting – and now we’re a distributor.
A huge thank you to Dellwyn and thanks to those amazing crafters who put these beautiful scarves together.
*While stocks last. Fiendishly handsome volunteer guides Bob, Geoff, Chris and John are not included in this offer.
#veteransaffairs #operationwrappedinremembrance ... See MoreSee Less
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It's great to be able to distribute our scarves to veterans and current service personnel through places like the Air Force Museum of New Zealand . Thanks for being a collection depot and helping pass the scarves on to service men and women, current and former. If you would like to be part of Operation Wrapped in Remembrance and knit, weave or crochet a beanie, lap blanket, scarf, hat or baby blanket or sew quilts or journal covers we'd welcome you. Contact Dellwyn - OpWiR2025@outlook.com or go to our Facebook page Operation Wrapped in Remembrance
What a lovely idea
Thay are very warm
HOW TO FIRE YOUR TIGER: No, not a human resources video, but a lesson on how to start a De Havilland D.H.82A Tiger Moth.
As it turns out, the pilot doesn't do a lot - the ground help does all the hard work!
Our volunteer guide and pilot Dave Horrell explains all you need to know.
Dave had a long career in the RNZAF before flying commerical aircraft, and is a specialist biplane pilot.
This follows on from Dave's how to start your Sioux, and how to start your Huey series.
#howtostartatigermotha#startmyplanea#StartMeUp#startmeup ... See MoreSee Less
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My late grandfather Leslie Keiller was training pilots and crew on tigermoths and supermarine spitfires at the nz south island rnzaf tairie airfield ww2 nearby to the modern Dunedin airport. So proud of his work as a leading aircraftsman.
Nice one Dave😉😊
Tom Koppen