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.
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
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! Today's entry dates back to November 1994 when No. 14 Squadron Aermacchi NZ6460 on the runway after suffering an engine failure on take off from RNZAF Base Ohakea.
The pilot was unhurt - and did a brilliant job of parking the Macchi in difficult circumstances.
The engine failed after it ingested a metal object, resulting in a flameout shortly after take off.
The story has a happy ending. The Macchi was repaired back in Italy and went on to fly again. It now takes pride of place in our museum collection - so come and have a look!
The RNZAF bought 18 Aermacchi MB-339CBs in 1990, and all of the aircraft were operated by No. 14 Squadron at RNZAF bBase Ohakea.
The Macchis were retired in 2001 when the Government disbanded the Air Combat F#youcantparktherematektheremate ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
⚽GO THE ALL WHITES VOLUME II! As the All Whites stare down the challenge of taking on Egypt in the World Cup today, we wanted to inspire the boys with some archive shots of the hardest looking teams in the equally famous RNZAF Conquest Cup competition at RNZAF Base Wigram in 1981.
The beautiful game has never looker tougher. For the record, RNZAF Base Auckland won that year.
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 word.
#WorldCup2026 #football #AllWhites ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Remarkable … got a cousin and my brother’s RNZAF best mate in those pics.
Those were the days! So many great memories of hard games and players :-)
❓MYSTERY OBJECT COMPETITION❓: Drum roll please - it is time for this week's mystery object competition!!
This one's a gamble on our part. While many of you may know what the object is, we also want to know which aircraft in our collection it belongs to.
To recap, it is a classic two parter, in a what/which format.
Part 1: What is it?
Part 2: Which aircraft in the Air Force Museum of New Zealand collection does it belong to?
Answer correctly 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 perfect for dipping Krispie biscuits in.
Best of luck, you are going to need so much of it to #MysteryObject
##wedonthaveacluew#impossiblepuzzlempossiblepuzzle ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
I was a snap head and I managed to correctly guess this one... Guess I spent too long on my back fitting or removing dual flight controls
It’s a turbocharger
It's a thing for a plane Raz Malkin will know he knows about things 😄😄
Turbocharger off the good old Sioux. Changed a couple during my tenure on Sioux Flt; most awkward $#@!
Turbocharger. Sioux. Blades can creep (lengthen) and jam on the housing. We used to inspect for a gap at the blade tips with feeler gauges. Caused at least one RNZAF accident. Brian Carrolls accident at Waiouru late 70’s but someone may correct me on that.
It's a turbo charged hairdryer the 3 Squadron avionics 'gentlemen' used to coif their pompadour hairstyles, while the aircraft guys were doing all the work.
Force amplifier on the bicycles used by aircrew to get to their aircraft?
It's a turbo charger on a Bell Sioux helicopter.
One of them from one of those.
Always looked more impressive during night flying in the Sioux - almost brighter than the nav lights
Definitely the turbocharger on the Sioux.
Yeah it the turbo heater for the Sioux to keep the pilots feet warm 😉
It is the Turbo on the Bell 47-3-B2 Sioux fitted to the Lycoming TVO 435 G1B.
Something to do with air on a helicopter? 😂
A turbo to make the run in under 12 parsecs
Turbo everything! (I love a good turbo as much as the next person but had no idea it belonged to the Bell Sioux helicopter)
The flight officers missus hairdryer
If it wasn't painted, I don't have a clue.
This is the turbo charger on the Bell Sioux
Toilet exhaust fan, Boeing 727.
It's a turbo on a BSA Bantam to enable it to catch a Buccaneer and pass over sarnies during a normal operating height pass.
Helicopter-powered air raid siren.
Air starter
Turbo encabulator
Turbo on the Sioux. From memory your information board is also incorrect and refers to that Lycoming engine being naturally aspirated.
View more comments