What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Latest from the museum
Latest Exhibition
Tall Tails
Our Tall Tails exhibition features the mounted tails of the C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion, this new exhibition brings visitors closer to two extraordinary aircraft and the stories they carry. It also highlights the importance of finding a permanent home for them, as the Museum continues to fundraise through the Home for Heroes project.
Tall Tails is on display in our Thérèse Angelo Wing.
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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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Support Us
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.
Book a birthday party
Our Aircraft
Explore AircraftMore to explore
Our favourite WAAF and neighbour took a starring role on Seven Sharp last night – here’s the link in case you missed it.
www.tvnz.co.nz/player/tvepisode/seven-sharp-s2026-e112-seven-sharp
Fay Hunt, 97-years young, lives at the Lady Wigram Retirement Village, a short hop from RNZAF Station Wigram where she served as a stores clerk back in the 1950s.
And last week Squadron Leader Kate Bint presented Fay with her long-overdue NZDF service medal at a special ceremony organised by the RNZAF Association and covered by Jendy and Richard from Seven Sharp.
Fay’s involvement with the RNZAF began in 1951 when her mum spotted an ad in the Daily Express about moving to New Zealand to join the WAAF.
Times were tough in the 1950s in post-war Britain, and Fay was keen to get away from food rationing and start a new life. The RNZAF was short of personnel.
She signed up to join the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and on 19 April 1951, the ship SS Atlantis left Southampton, carrying 100 British women, including young Fay, bound for New Zealand.
The group of women became known as the Ninety Niners. There were meant to be 100 of them – but one became ill on the way so they were down to 99. Hence the name!
The WAAFs served at Whenuapai in Auckland for six weeks, helping out during the waterfront strikes, and were posted to RNZAF Station Woodbourne.
Fay loved Blenheim immediately – she recalls how the whole town welcomed the English girls.
“They were so lovely and welcoming and it meant I never regretted signing up to leave England.’’
She was then posted to Wigram and met a young RNZAF engineer called Alan Hunt. They fell in love and were soon married.
Fay served as a WAAF for two years before leaving for family life with Alan. They brought up their family in Christchurch and later retired to Ashburton.
When Alan passed away a few years ago Fay decided to return to Christchurch – and where better to live than Wigram?
Fay came along to our Anzac Day service this year and connected with the RNZAF Association, and the team there helped her apply for her mdeals.
Well done Fay – thank you for your service!
Thanks @Seven Sharp for a beautiful story.
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Fay has now been made an associate member of the RNZAFA Canterbury branch and she is looking forward to attending our monthly meetings. We are very fortunate to have her amongst us
I saw the story on TV. ❤
I love this story. I wrote a novel based on the Wrens based in blenheim during the war and I'd love to do the same with this story. If anyone has info or diaries would love it if you got in touch
Thank you for your service 🫡🫡🫡
A really heartwarming story. ❤️
Fabulous to watch, amazing women back then!!
CONGRATULATIONS FAY!!xx🇳🇿♥️💐♥️
Go Fay! Debbie Ambler(Laing),Brian & Lindsay Dunn and myself had Mum’s who came out from UK in the 99ers group. The majority of them kept in touch and had regular reunions over the years. We suspect Fay is the last of the group. xx
Bless
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TOUR DE AIRFIELD: As the Tour de France heats up, we'd be remiss if we didn't remind everyone that the Royal New Zealand Air Force has long been a hotbed of cycling talent.
Airfields, by definition, are long and flat so the best way to get around has traditionally been by base bike.
These are many, and shared, sometimes 'borrowed' (or stolen) and an essential part of RNZAF life.
And, even today, there's plenty of young potential here at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
The smart money is on Raz Pogačar for today's Wigram stage, his legs are fresh and he's in the form of his life, although he faces tough opposition from J#RNZAFg#tourdefrancerf del Toro.
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I recall races at Wigram on the old bone shakers, A certain lad that went by the name of Rastas had an old moped that he raked the frame of and removed the engine, A model aircraft engine was mounted to the handlebars complete with propeller, not too sure of the results or if it actually finished, It was not the easiest thing to pedal or steer.
Takes me back to Ohakea days. Section bike race relay around the base. Started behind 75 squadron and the armament section. Can not remember the direction. Changing over rider was spectacular. Many legs gave away on dismounting the gov issued bike. As our MT store man or grocer was the bike repair man we did ask for a great tune up, maybe is was extra oil on the chain or tyre pressure? Great times.
Bicycles? Shouldnt it be mobility Scooters?
Not all bicycles operated around Wigram were entirely conventional. Dad built what was called a 'Ground Hugger' which was featured in a Popular Mechanics magazine article.
A certain chef who shall remain nameless used to turf Joe Burns bike into the locked tennis courts next to No 2 Officers Mess.
Yeah the famous Tour de Base at Ohakea, magic times.
Boys are looking pretty sharp, would definitely back anyone for a long breakaway
Many a Wigram base bike was also used to get to the Burger Bunker after the bar closed.
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❓MYSTERY CONTROL COLUMN COMPETITION❓: The finance team has requested we make our competitions more difficult because we are giving away too many coffee mugs.
And so, in the spirit of cost cutting, we present the mystery control column competition.
All you have to do is identify which aircraft in our collection this control column (we accept joystick) belongs to.
Correct answers will go in the draw to win one of our stunning Air Force Museum of New Zealand roundel coffee mugs.
They are round, with roundels and perfect for dunking.
The very best of luck. You are going to need it.
If this proves too easy, finance has suggested a mystery spark plug comeptition.
We've been warn#MysteryObjectbj#wedonthaveacluea#ImpossiblePuzzleuzzle ... See MoreSee Less
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The Wright Flyer I think
Westland HAS Mk 1 Wasp For stirring the pilot's tea ... are we back to the tea trolley again 😆?
Control stick of the Westland Wasp
It is the cyclic control stick and cockpit of the Westland Wasp.
It is a Westland Wasp’s HAS.1 helicopter cyclic control RNZAF serial no. NZ3906
Definately Westland Wasp helicopter. Clue Hoist, Down and Cargo Release
I would say it’s from the Bell UH-1H NZ3801
The hotas control stick from assuming the Westland wasp
It comes with the "fortunate son" switch 😉
Looks like a Wasp
Helicopter Cyclic. Westland Wasp
RNZN Wasp... the stick handle has a NZ NSN attached to it
That "joystick" is the Cyclic control on a Westland Wasp
What about a mystery typo spotting competition 🧐🤣🤭
Westland Wasp HAS Mk 1 ?
Definitely a heli so wasp left seat. I guess finance have a spark plug from a radial engine ready for next contest now 😇🤣
Westland Has.1 wasp cyclic control
This is the 'joystick' and instrument panel of the RNZN Westland Wasp, NZ3906 😎
I was going to say it look similar to one from an iroquois but then everyone else said a Westland Wasp soooooo I officially change my guess to a Westland Wasp as well
Control stick of the Westland Wasp HAS.1 NZ3906
Air Force Bell UH-1H Iroquois (“Huey”)
By deduction, its a helicopter 🚁 with the hoist button, but not the Sioux (no hoist) and not the UH-1H (instrument panel completely different) so must be the Westland Wasp ! Elementary my dear Watson!!
That's G4F compass circa 1950s & 60s (old school) , so I'm going with the Westland Wasp.
I was going to say Westland Scout, but I've noticed people even giving the Serial number for the exhibit, so I guess they're correct 😁
The Westland Wasp. The centre console is a giveaway too. Very British switches!
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