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
RURAL WOMEN NEW ZEALAND is celebrating 100 years of good works this year, including once being the proud funders of a Supermarine Spitfire!
So Lynette Harris, Sally Brown and Emma Burke from the Darfield Glenroy Branch of RWNZ were keen to get a close up of our beautiful Supermarine Spitfire when they called in for a guided tour of our museum.
Back when the Second World War was at full pitch, rural communities around the country held fundraisers to buy Spitfires to support the war effort.
Rural Women, known then as Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union of New Zealand, fundraised for three months to purchase a Spitfire.
It was named ‘Levin’ after the hometown of the No. 485 RAF (New Zealand) Squadron pilot Sergeant Lyndon Griffiths and had WDFUNZ painted on its cowling.
As well as celebrating 100 years of supporting rural communities, RWNZ is still a fundraising and good works machine, focusing on advocacy, support and connection for women and families in isolated rural communities.
Its latest effort was knitting 100 blankets for Plunket, and, just quietly, our Spitfire could do with a winter blanket to keep it warm!
Happy 100 RWNZ/WDFUNZ!!!!
#485squadron #rwnz #ruralwomennewzealand ... See MoreSee Less
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TALL TAILS ON TV: Our Orion and Hercules tails along with our very own Robyn Medlicott starred on Breakfast TV today with Charlotte Mulder.
We've had lots of interest in the Tall Tails exhibition over the weekend - and hopefully this great coverage will help spread the word.
Thanks @breakfaston1 , Charlotte, Mason and Jess! ... See MoreSee Less
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They should have the C130 maintenance ladder attached. Always fun to use being as it was only attached at the bottom and midway:-)
People will be able to appreciate the size of the aircraft.
❓MYSTERY OBJECT COMPETITION ❓: Muh huh huh huh haaaaa!
You'll never get this one.
Tell us what this mysterious thing is, 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.
Good luck - you are going to #MysteryObjectte#wedonthaveacluet#impossiblepuzzleiblepuzzle ... See MoreSee Less
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Not sure but it looks like Thomas the tank engine hiding in there !!
Field deployable Air Fryer (rat packs go better in the air fryer) 😁
Hand drier in the accessible toilet.
NZ Green Party?
It is the hair dryer
Blow off valve exhaust on the macchi
It's a Parliamentary vent 😏
Bristol 170 Freighter Mk.31M
The unassuming air vent that gave Marilyn Munro the inspiration for her later iconic photo...
Is it a hot air blast vent off of the UH-1H Huey?
I dunno but thomas the tank engine doesn't look to happy to be in there
It looks like an exhaust port, about 2 metres wide
Haha it’s the vent that blew Marilyn Monroe’s dress up in the film The Seven Year Itch 😁
my mother in law!
APU exhaust, or a misinstalled storm drain.
Marilyn Monroe dress lifter?
Kitchen range hood vent! That should haven working before the house smoke alarm and out door siren that the neighbor hood now knows how loud it can be!
It's from the huey
NOT the place for someone to drop a screw.
My guess would be a C-130
This looks like it belongs to the Aermacchi MB-339CB and it's the vent for the ECS
Engine bay air luvers on the Aermacchi MB-339c
Ground crew heater on a 1764 turbine powered ornithopter
Crikey! A-4K Skyhawk NZ6205 ECS / Air conditioning pack exhaust.
APU outlet/vent on an Orion
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