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
On this day, 85 years ago in May 1941, Kiwis were fighting for their lives on the ground and in the skies above the island of Crete.
Three young Kiwi aviators were among those killed as the Royal Air Force fought in the Battle of Crete, and we’ve put poppies beside their names on our Roll of Honour to remember them today.
German forces had invaded Crete on 20 May, and Allied forces, including 7700 New Zealanders, were hard pressed to defend the island.
Pilot Officer Howard Fleming Irving was an observer aboard No. 45 Squadron Bristol Blenheim Z5896 which set out for a raid on Maleme Airfield on the island at 3am on 27 May.
The aircraft climbed steeply after take-off, stalled, and Howard Irving was killed in the crash.
Howard was a shepherd from Tolaga Bay before the war. He was 25 when he died, and he is buried at El Alamein cemetery, Egypt.
Later in the day No. 14 Squadron Blenheim T2338 left its base in Egypt for another raid on Maleme Airfield, with Kiwi pilot Flying Officer Murray MacKenzie at the controls.
The Blenheim was lost in the desert on the return flight. Four of the crew survived, but Murray was never found.
Murray was a farmer before the war at Tai Tapu, near Christchurch. He left New Zealand for England to train as a pilot in 1938. He was 27, and on his 50th operation, when he died. He is commemorated at El Alamein cemetery.
Sergeant Douglas Gordon Callender was an observer aboard No. 55 Squadron Blenheim T2175 which set out at 2.30pm on 27 May to attack Maleme.
The aircraft was lost over the desert on the return journey to Egypt, and Douglas is buried at El Alamein cemetery. He was just 24 years old when he was killed.
While most of the Kiwi soldiers made it off Crete in a massive evacuation by the Royal Navy, 2000 were taken prisoner after the surrender on 1 June.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Photo: German paratroopers in the Battle of Crete - Wikicommons.
#elalamein #BattleofCrete ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Excellent. Well researched and presented part of New Zealand military aviator history. Lest we forget.
Dad, Wes Jack’s notes on reverse….
We Will Remember Them
🫡🫡🫡
View more comments
PIONEER CHENG: Set the calendar back to January 1962, and a young aviator called Soon Lian Cheng landed at Christchurch Airport aboard an RNZAF Devon, after a five-day trip from Kuala Lumpur.
He and his colleague Buang Ahmad were the first Malayan pilots on a training exchange with the RNZAF, learning their trade in the mighty North American Harvards at RNZAF Station Wigram.
Cheng, who was back this week for a class reunion with No. 36 Pilots’ Course, recalls the flight had to divert that day because it couldn’t land at Wigram for a very special reason.
“We had to land at Harewood because Stirling Moss was racing around Wigram, competing in the Lady Wigram Trophy.’’
He was welcomed at No. 2 Mess – where beer was given out in flagons - and sent out to watch the racing. Stirling Moss won in his Lotus 21.
It was a fine start to a year-long adventure for Cheng, and the beginning of a long career in the Royal Malaysian Air Force. He retired in 1996 as a Brigadier General.
After completing his training in New Zealand, he went on to fly Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneers in the confrontation with Indonesia.
Since retiring he has been a regular visitor to Christchurch for reunions and loves catching up with his Kiwi mates from No. 36.
After 63 years there have been a lot of reunions, and he’s already planning to be at the next one.
He's in the front row, far left in the photo. His colleague Buang, far right, was sadly killed a few years later in an accident.
Welcome home sir! ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Some well known names on this course. Group. No. 36 Pilots Course. Flying Training School, RNZAF Station Wigram. L-R Back; Wrathal, Johnston, Ewing, Thompson, McLeod, Clarke, Crawford. L-R Front; Soon, Henstock, Histed, lloyd, Brausch, Buang.
That Harvard the class are being photographed in front of is NZ1058.....under restoration for static display at Ferrymead here in Christchurch.
what an amazing man. I remember watching Stirling Moss racing at the Lady Wigram, too.
Shane Seymour
❓MYSTERY OBJECT COMPETITION ❓: Righto aviation experts, can you tell us what this mysterious thing is and which 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
Comment on Facebook
Cheese grater for grating chocolate onto cappuccinos on long haul military cargo flights.
It's a quarter marker for the rump of a show horse.
it is a trick photo. it is enlarged. it’s actually a tea leaf strainer, installed on all aircraft because we all know how air force crew like to have only the best tea on their flights. which they drink form mugs with air force rounders on them.
Oooh this one's easy, extra large in-flight dominoes ✅
That's the built in connect four game so the crew don't get bored on flights. It's a trick question because they are installed on every one of our planes that have at least two crew. Fun Fact: sometimes they are installed on the outside of planes because crews have gotten bored playing the same game for decades so an element of danger was added to make it exciting again. I can't wait to drink coffee out of my new mug! 😍😅
It’s the side of a laundry basket, no?
Speed holes to go faster
Someone subscribes to the Colin Chapman school of performance enhancement. Build in lightness.
I think we may need a reverse competition for best wrong answer.....
Merlin P-51 alternate air inlet on the lower cowl.
Dive brake on a Dauntless 😄
Filtered air intake for the engine on a P51 mustang.
P3 flare / chaff bucket cover?
Bit like sonobuoy ejection ports but wrong orientation given the hint of an undercarriage at the bottom of the photo.
P-51 Mustang carburetor air filter induction cover
Coffee Cup holders for extra long flights
Chin cowling on a P51
I'm going with the auxiliary air intake on a P-51.
P3B, Ejection ports for Photo-flash cartridges.
Vents on the North American Harvard MKIII?
Cowling vents on the P-51D Mustang. So sexy
Must be an old a/c as it has dzus fasteners.
Air filter intake on a P51 mustang
Is it the cessna
It’s the starboard side Carburettor Filter Access panel of the a P51-D Mustang. Footnote: some were replaced with a solid panel for winter running.
View more comments