What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Latest from the museum
Support
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.
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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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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.
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Our Aircraft
Explore AircraftMore to explore
⚽GO THE ALL WHITES! As the All Whites embark on their World Cup campaign today, we've raided our archive for some inspiring football photos from the RNZAF archives to spur them on.
As you can see, many fine athletes have played the beautiful game for the RNZAF over the years.
If you want to have a look at our extensive catalogue of football greatness, go to: airforcemuseum.co.nz/photographs/
and put in football as a key wo#WorldCup2026p#footballt#AllWhiteshites ... See MoreSee Less
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I see they have these fancy light balls ⚽️ these days, not the hard heavy leather balls we had when you got a headache if you headed one…..😂😂😂😂 nice to see the photos
Frisbee soccer is a rnzaf air training corps and 3 squadron Hobsonville sport
Yup, those later balls were brilliant to head.. the early, heavy leather ones.. not so much. I can still feel the impact!
📢🚨WHOOP WHOOP HOLIDAY PROGRAMME SPOTS AVAILABLE 📢🚨 We've got space on our holiday programme for July so get in quick!
Our Game on Pilots programme from 13-17 July is designed to keep curious young aviators engaged ina busy programme designing, creating and playing their own board games.
The programme is for tamariki aged 5 to 12. Each day will feature a different boardgame and explore ways we can connect to the RNZAF.
Book here: airforcemuseum.co.nz/kids-and-families/school-holiday-activiti#julyschoolholidaysi#holidayschristchurchh#schoolholidayprogrammechristchurchhurch ... See MoreSee Less
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❓MYSTERY OBJECT COMPETITION❓: Muh huh huh huh haaaaa!
You'll never get this one - not in a million years.
Tell us what this mysterious thing is (and we mean the red and yellow thing in the foreground, not the Skyhawk tail in the background) and which aircraft in our collection it belongs to, in the comments below and you'll go in the draw to win an Air Force Museum of New Zealand roundel mug.
Our roundel mugs are round with roundels and are having a moment just now.
Best of luck, you are going to need so much of it to get t#MysteryObjectte#wedonthaveacluet#impossiblepuzzleiblepuzzle ... See MoreSee Less
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A double pogo stick to levitate one to the height of a Herc tail😎
Thats easy!! A tail of an A4K Skyhawk!!!!
It shows where the pilots can get their hair trimmed and their dashing mustaches waxed.
Forbidden candy cane
Those are the drinking straws on a Catalina flying boat. When the Catalina lands on the water it can take a drink as flying is very thirsty work. This one may be tricky for some people as the Catalina is not on display and you must go on a (highly recommended) tour of the workshop to see it.
Rebecca antenna on the Bristol freighter
Rebecca antenna system off a Bristol Freighter
Aerials found outboard on the wing of a DH Devon.
The L-band antenna on the Bristol’s aft belly.
It's a step, identified for easy location by the red n yellow supports, so you can climb up to see what the label says it is.
That's just your everyday, standard Plumbus
Fuel jettison tubes on the Bristol wing
Aerials under the wing of NZ5903 for the Rebecca IV DME radar
Aerial's on Devon
I want to say it's something from the skyhawk, I recognize it but I've got no clue what it is
Antennas on the wingtips of the Devon not sure what they did as I'm an armorer
Rebecca antenna under Bristol Freighter
too many old ex airforce guys on here yes the rebecca aerials
On the B-170 freighter, A4 lurking in background
200 mhz DME aerials. As to the aircraft it could either be the Devon or the Freighter.
Bristol Freighter DME Antenna
I have absolutely no idea. But I did google the Rebecca/Eureka radar system and found it very interesting!
Tail gear ground lock pin on the Bristol Freighter
They are the part of the rebecca receiving antennas. Think there was one set under each wing tip. The transmitting one was under the fuselage. There were three elements for each set, these are the front two.
Options: 1. Fuel drip vanes. 2. VHF/UHF antenna. 3. #wedonthaveaclue
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