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
BROTHERS IN ARMS: During the hectic days of the invasion of France and the Low Countries in May 1940, New Zealanders were at the forefront of the aerial defence. Some, like Edgar ‘Cobber’ Kain became household names.
One of the less glamourous roles in the campaign was performed by Army Co-operation squadrons of the Air Component of the RAF.
They flew Westland Lysanders in support of ground units, spotting the enemy and directing fire, just as they had in the Great War. This, however, was a different kind of war, one of movement and surprise.
The slow and lightly armed Lysanders were very vulnerable, and usually unescorted.
On Sunday 19 May 1940, seven Lysanders of No. 16 Squadron RAF hastily took off to relocate as German forces raced to encircle and capture their airfield at Bertangles.
A passenger in one of these aircraft was Pilot Officer Ian Dromgoole, a pilot from Lyttelton.
The Lysander was intercepted by enemy fighters and quickly shot down. No remains were ever recovered, and the crew were commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
One of Ian’s seven brothers Sydney was also killed on 22 April 1942 while serving with No. 75 (NZ) Squadron.
Some of Ian and Sydney’s letters home from England were found in the family home in Lyttelton, following his parent’s deaths, copies of which are now archived here at the Museum.
Another brother, Jack, was in the American merchant navy and was lost at sea.
Of his other brothers, Leo served with the RAF in Singapore, Malaya and with the RNZAF in New Zealand.
Max served with the New Zealand Army in Greece, Crete and North Africa and was wounded. Two others, Victor and Frank served in essential industry in New Zealand.
📸Portrait of Pilot Officer I Dromgoole, from the Weekly News issue 5 June 1940. Image: MUS0900515
📸Two No.16 Squadron Lysanders in formation. UG-H (behind) and UG-A (in front). Unknown location in England. Image: 2023/109.202 ... See MoreSee Less
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HAPPY INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY! Today's the day we celebrate the contribution museums make to the world.
This year's theme is Uniting a Divided World - and it is hard to imagine a time when the world has been more divided!
Today we'd like to thank the more than 200,000 visitors - including 5000 students - who have chosen to come museuming* at our place.
Ka rawe, ka pai, thank you very much!
*A made-up word which means learning all about incredible Kiwi stories with us the home of military aviation in#ICOMZ#InternationalMuseumsDayionalmuseumsday ... See MoreSee Less
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❓MYSTERY OBJECT COMPETITION ❓: Righto aviation fans, can you tell us what this mysterious thing is and what aircraft it belongs to?
Bet you can't.
Put your answers in the comments below and you'll go in the draw to win an Air Force Museum of New Zealand roundel mug.
They are round with roundels and are perfect for every occasion.
Goo#mysteryobjectte#wedonthaveacluet#impossiblepuzzleiblepuzzle ... See MoreSee Less
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It's what's known as a CHIMSL - Centre High Mounted Stop Light. It automatically comes on when the airbrakes or flaps are deployed. The really fancy ones, available as an option on the GLX Strikemaster, had the word STOP on them leaving no doubt as to what the pilot's intentions were.
Looks like one of several white girders. That hold up the roof? We can't fully see cos there's a Blunty tail light in the way.
This rear formation light is typical of the black Air Ministry-spec Bakelite types used on British-built aircraft of WW2 vintage and later. This eliminates American-built and pre-WW2 types in the collection. The AF Museum of New Zealand has few aircraft in a brown & green colour scheme. This eliminates a lot more ... At the end of the day the shape of the empennage and position of the tailplane leaves only one possibility. BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk 88 NZ6373 "Blunty"
Tail light on the Bristol Freighter.
Pretty sure it's a reversing camera?
BAC strikemaster mk.88 rear navigation light?
Early model of the Dalek eye. Design was copied and modified by BAC and used on the Blunty (Strikemaster).
That's the rear tail light of your resident BAC Strikemaster
Blunty tail light
Could be a starter motor
Strike master tail light. So they don't get crashed into in formation!
Strikemaster. Although it looks like it's a 'I'm watching you' light, just to make sure the flightline crew are behaving themselves.
RAF hawker hurricane tail light?
Rear light on the Strikemaster above the tailpipe.
Strikemaster rear Nav light 💡
Tail marker light on a Strikemaster
Strikemaster formation tail light
Stirkemaster tail light.
BAC Strikemaster. Not a framie, but looking at that actuator arm running to the elevator, looks like Strikemaster.
Nav light Avro Anson or Lockheed Hudson
Strikemaster tail light I have a bunch NOS ones
Definitely a Tail Light for a Strikemaster.
BAC Strikemaster rear tail light
Thats a standard plumbus
im guessing a gun camera from a 20mm cannon from a spitfire
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