Air Force Museum of New Zealand

3 hours ago

If you thought assembling a model aircraft was a big job, try a full size Blériot! 😜

The aircraft will be suspended from our Atrium ceiling in the near future. Until it goes up, there's an opportunity to admire it from up close. You'll find it right in the centre of the Atrium as you enter the Museum, don't miss out!

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Air Force Museum of New Zealand

2 days ago

Today is International Museum Day, and one of its themes this year is 'community building through education'. We at the Air Force Museum are incredibly fortunate to have Chris Davey on board as our Education Officer, and who better to talk about this year's Museum Day theme than the man himself? We hope you enjoy reading this short piece Chris wrote below as much as we did. Happy #InternationalMuseumDay !

How lucky we are. Lucky that we live in a peaceful corner of the world. Fortunate that those who came before us fought for our freedom and a peaceful way of life. Privileged that we have a Defence Force that is trained to fight & protect, but primarily gets to spend time doing just the opposite – helping, at home and all around the world. These are teaching points that make me truly happy when providing education programmes to groups from within our community. We should never take these things for granted.

Even if a group has come to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand for a programme on the theory of flight, or to learn about simple machines, they will be exposed to this concept. It starts at the Museum’s Roll of Honour where groups of all ages are briefed, not just on having a safe visit, but on what this Museum is about – he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata – the people, the people, the people. There are stories here; stories of sacrifice, stories of bravery and stories of service; service to our country that creates a sense of community and belonging. Yes, there are some pretty cool aircraft here as well, but they are just a fraction of our collection of taonga tuku iho – treasures passed down to us.

As a trained primary school teacher who loves all things to do with aircraft and the Air Force, I was lucky enough to gain employment as the Education Officer, here at the Air Force Museum, some sixteen years ago. The job is just too good to give up! With a range of free Air Force-related programmes that include both STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) and history to deliver, and the ever-changing world we live in, there is never a dull moment and a new challenge awaits around every corner. Plus, there are the added benefits of working for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) – staying on Air Force bases, working at air shows, and several amazing flying experiences that would make any keen flyer rather jealous…

With the support of our wonderful Visitor Hosts, our Research Team and the wider Museum Team, I take pride in being able to offer both predesigned and tailored programmes, free of charge, to thousands of visitors per year. One day could see a group of pre-schoolers visiting for a ‘Behind the Scenes Tour’ and Museum Hunt, and the next could involve delivering a series of learning experiences about the RNZAF’s role in the World War Two Pacific Islands to senior high school students. At times, I could spend a whole week teaching theory of flight to school groups and, while some would question the repetitive nature of this, every group is different; be it in age, background, school culture, or levels of prior knowledge. As the Museum Director (often) says, ‘flexibility is the key to airpower’. Note: I don’t actually hold any airpower, but I’m certainly flexible!

#IMD2022

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