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
REMEMBERING VIETNAM: Today is Vietnam Veterans Day, the day we acknowledge the sacrifice of those who served in the Southeast Asian conflict.
More than 3500 New Zealand military and civilian personnel served in Vietnam from 1963 to 1975.
Thirty-seven men died while on active service and 187 were wounded.
Among those to lose their lives was RNZAF medical orderly George S Watt.
George was killed when he triggered a booby trap on 1 March 1970.
The 29-year-old was born in Scotland but his family later moved to New Zealand, and he went to school in Kaikoura before joining the RNZAF.
We've put a poppy by his name today.
The RNZAF contributed 61 personnel to Vietnam, including forward air controllers flying aircraft and helicopters.
RNZAF Hercules and Freighter aircraft flew in and out of Vietnam for six and a half years, supporting the 3500 personnel who served in the war.
Most New Zealand personnel withdrew from Vietnam in 1973, the Civilian Surgical Team and No. 41 Squadron served in Vietnam until 1975.
📸No. 41 Squadron Bristol Freighter NZ5907, thought to be over Vietnam.
📸Changeover of New Zealand Army V Company, Vietnam. Personnel walking to No. 40 Squadron Hercules NZ70#RNZAFr#VietnamWara#lestweforgetorget ... See MoreSee Less
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Gordon Watts, ( I was on 41 when he was killed)
Phil Whiteman, second to bottom, was a RNZAF Sixtyniner, (Cadets) died after motor bike fall infection turned to angarine. Was on 41 Sqn 1970 to 1972, and did visit Vietnam
We Will Remember Them
I’m sure his name was Gordon Watt please check?
Get A Way! It's Woody Woodroofe Day!
On 18 August 1944 Warrant Officer Gordon ‘Woody’ Woodroofe escaped from his Stalag VIII B working party in occupied Poland.
With false documents and a civilian outfit, on foot, by bike and eventually by boat, he made his way to Sweden and then back to Britain.
He was the only New Zealander to successfully escape from a German Prisoner of War (POW) camp and score a ‘home run’ back to Britain, and one of only 34 RAF POWs (out of 10,000) to achieve the same.
For his efforts, Gordon was awarded the Military Medal.
Woody had been a prisoner for a long three years prior to his home run.
He used his legendary gambling skills to barter all the things he needed to escape, including civilian clothing and false paperwork.
Woody was born in Te Aroha in 1920, and was training to be a teacher when he volunteered to join the RNZAF.
After the war he returned home and wrote the story of his remarkable escape in an autobiography called Get A Way -
airforcemuseum.co.nz/shop/getaway/
We’ve got Woody's beret and shoes on display in our Horizon to Horizon Gallery, come and see for yourself!
airforcemuseum.co.nz/blog/ripping-yarns/ ... See MoreSee Less
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" Gordon ‘Woody’ Woodroofe " was a fellow POW with my father and Gordon mentioned both my dad Mac Dowding and the man who was to be my Godfather, Ted Hawkhead, in his great book [ mentioned in the notes above ] about his POW life " GeTaWay " the capitals his initials ! - have a treasured copy in my collection.
🚨📢GET THE KETTLE ON, MYSTERY AIRFIELD COMPETITION SOLVED🚨📢: Takes a bow Neil Lambess, winner of last week's mystery airfield competition.
Neil correctly identified the airfield as RNZAF Waipapakauri Station in Northland - the first line of defence in the north in case of invasion.
The airfield was first developed in the 1930s and became a busy spot after the Japanese entered the war in 1941.
A whole lot of infrastructure, including a base hospital and lengthened runways, were built at the airfield.
It was our fortress in the north, with mighty Vickers Vincents ready into action, if we were attacked. These were later supplemented with more modern aircraft including Kittyhawks and Hudsons.
Waipapakauri was closed after the war ended in 1945 but a memorial to its brief life remains.
Neil wins a coveted Air Force Museum of New Zealand mug.
They're round - with roundels.
Please get in touch Neil by emailing communicactions@airforcemuseum.co.nz we will get the mug wrapped and flown out in the Bristol Freighter. If it starts.
Thanks to all who entered. Tougher one ne#mysteryairfieldryairfield ... See MoreSee Less
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My father did part of his Air Force training at Waipapakauri in 1942. Sadly he did not survive the war and was killed over England in January 1945. He was a Wellington bomber pilot. I was only just two when he left New Zealand and I don't remember him but I do have over 200 of his letters written to my mother, and he details his training at Waipapakauri.
Found the signs and information when up that way last year,.👍
Was Kaitaia not the furthest north? Built by the yanks?
P-40s lined up Waipapakauri Northland
Decoy Hudsons at Waipapakauri
Waipapakauri
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