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
BERLIN AIRLIFT: On this day in 1949 the last RNZAF flight left Berlin, ending an exceptional contribution to the airlift that saved a city from starvation.
The Berlin Airlift began after the Soviets sealed off West Berlin, cutting off the city with a blockade that was the first significant confrontation of the Cold War.
The only way to supply the city was by air, and Operation Plainfare was launched.
Commonwealth countries were called on to help and the RNZAF volunteered the services of three crews from No. 41 Squadron flying borrowed C-47 Dakotas.
The Kiwi crews were based at Lubeck in West Germany and flew three missions over 12 hours a day to supply the besieged capital.
The flying was tough, the skies congested and the weather difficult.
The original six-month mission was extended, and over 13 months the New Zealanders successfully completed 473 flights, delivering 1577 tons of cargo, mainly coal, to keep Berlin supplied.
The return flights were principally used to as medivac flights for malnourished children.
The last flight landed back in the west on 11 August 1949, and then the Kiwis headed home.
Each crew consisted of a pilot, navigator and a wireless operator. The New Zealanders were: CJ Fraser, Dunedin, pilot; E Saker, Cambridge, navigator, N Fitzgerald, Auckland, wireless operator; JD Phillips, Christchurch, pilot; HJ Hammond, DFC, Christchurch, navigator, SH Ward, Henderson, wireless operator; G Haslop, Te Aroha, pilot; GM King, Wellington, navigator and R Hicks, Gore, wireless operator.
Another Kiwi played a starring role in Operation Plainfare.
Air Commodore Ronald ‘Nugget’ Cohen – a famous son of Feilding in the
Manawatu – was the chief architect of the complicated plan to supply Berlin.
Cohen was an exceptional organiser. After the airlift was successfully completed, he was made a Commander of the British Empire and awarded the US Legion of Merit for his work.
📸A C-47 Dakota at Lubeck. Image: Wiki Commons.
📸 The plaque presented to Kiwi aircrews at Lubeck. Iage: MUS0800513
📸Air Commodore Ronald Cohen at his desk in Germany during the Berlin Airlift. Image: 2017-017.136
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Another New Zealand pilot was Ted Edwards of Whangarei.
❓MYSTERY AIFRIELD COMPETITION ❓: Correctly decipher these photographic breadcrumbs to identify this mystery RNZAF airfield - and win yourself a fantastic prize!
This is not easy - it ain't no Whenuapai or Ohakea - but there are some clues littered throughout the photos.
Put your answers in the comments below and go in the draw to win a beautiful and coveted Air Force Museum of New Zealand mug.
They're round - with roundels. They're all the rage this winter because they can be used as mugs for tea, coffee or nourishing soups or as holdalls for nick-nacks.#mysteryairfieldmysteryairfield ... See MoreSee Less
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Yes I think Waipapakauri as it looks like the station hospital in one of the pics
One of the 5 Delta Airfields in the Marlborough Valley's
RNZAF Waipapakauri, in fortress Northland. The picture of the huts makes me think they are closer to Lake Ngatu. One of my teachers, their house was taken over and years later you could still see the painted tool shapes on the walls of the garage. We would often go past the old communications bunker on the way to Ninety Mile beach, with its old rubber coated electrical cables laying exposed, long out of commission. With it's long concrete entrance tunnels, I used to call it the 'bomb shelter', dad, who had served in Northland during the war, told me otherwise. The Waipap pub used to be thd base hospital, if I remember correctly, and even when I was a kid, you could find those huts all over the place, doing duty as sheds etc. in people's back yards or paddocks. I grew up in Awanui, just south of there. As a note, today's Kaitaia airfield was originally built as a base for B-17's, hence why it got a sealed runway. Thanks for posting the pictures and opening a few memories.
Solomon islands?
I'm not sure what an "Airfrield" is..? Lol Spellcheck maybe..?
Ok, just to be different I’m going to suggest Te Hāpua in Northland. A civil airfield used for emergency and communications purposes by the RNZAF during WW11.
Waipapakauri just north of Awanui there’s a memorial by the pub
Te Parita ?
Waipapakauri in Northland. ell documented in the book Wings over Waipapakauri, a brilliant read
Looks a bit like Hamilton airfield as the buried alot if kittyhawk parts in the swamp.
Waiau Pa?
Waipapakauri north of kaitaia
RNZAF Station Waipapakauri.
Taieri?
Renwick
RNZAF Waipapakauri, north of Awanui, Northland
RNZAF Station Waipapakauri, a former military airfield located in Northland, New Zealand
RNZAF Waipapakauri.
RNZAF Waipapakauri, near Awanui, Northland.
Rukuhia
RNZAF Ashburton
Seagrove
RNZAF Station Waipapakauri in Northland
Omaka
Kaitaia/far north
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📢🚨WHOOP WHOOP - GET THE KETTLE ON - WE HAVE A WINNER!📢🚨: Colin Farley is this week's mug-winning genius.
Colin correctly identified the mystery control column was from a De Havilland Devon.
These magnificent machines first arrived in 1948 and the air force operated 30 of them for 33 years.
They were used for everything from VIP duties to navigation trainers. NZ1821, pictured, is the Devon that rules them all thanks to ts own special paint job in the colours of the Wigram base commander.
Colin, we hope this prized coffee mug makes your world complete! May your Nescafe be tastier, andf your Bell tea make you feel more alive.
Please email communications@airforcemuseum.co.nz and we will fire up the Devon and fly the mug out to you. If those beautiful six cylinder Gipsy Queens do not start, we will courier it.
A new mystery awaits next we#MysteryObjectbj#wedonthaveacluea#ImpossiblePuzzleuzzle ... See MoreSee Less
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I had my first flight in one at RNZAF Wigram as an ATC cadet in 1958
Made great training aids, I seem to remember doing engine runs was great fun
And sadly NZ1821 is no longer around
I worked on them on 42 Sqn. Now I feel really old.
Awesome. Email Sent
NZ1821 cockpit still exists; here it is today. And yes, the instrument panels and radios are currently in storage.
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