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
Join us for a special series of book readings to celebrate New Zealand Children’s Book Week starting this Sunday.
We’ve got a great selection of children’s books and we’d love to share them with your children during the week from 16 August to 21 August.
Each child will get a free sticker and poster, and we’ll have book specials so you can take them home!
Tamariki of all ages welcome – see you in front of our Tall Tails.
Timetable:
Sunday 16 August 2pm
Monday 17 August 10am
Tuesday 18 August 10am
Wednesday 19 August 10am
Thursday 20 August 10am
Friday 21 August 10am
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Today we remember five young Kiwi men who died in 1943 in an attack on a German submarine that resulted in the award of a posthumous Victoria Cross.
On 11 August 1943, Flying Officer Lloyd Trigg, Flying Officer Ivan Marinovich, Flight Sergeant Arthur Godfrey Bennett, Flight Sergeant Lawrence James Frost and Flight Sergeant Terence John Soper set off on a patrol from their base at Rufisque in French West Africa.
The crew spotted a surfaced German submarine, U468, about 380km southwest of Dakar, and closed in for the attack. The U-boat turned its two anti-aircraft cannons to the aircraft and scored several devastating hits to the Liberator, setting it on fire.
The aircraft was crippled beyond saving, and it plunged into the sea a short distance from the U-boat, killing everyone aboard.
The U-boat was mortally wounded, and it sunk within 20 minutes. Seven of its crew members survived and were picked up by an Allied rescue party the next day, floating in a dinghy which had come from the crashed Liberator.
The captain of the U-boat was interrogated and provided an eyewitness account of the attack, which resulted in Lloyd Trigg’s recommendation for a Victoria Cross.
He remains the only serviceman ever to be awarded the VC solely on evidence provided by the enemy. He is one of only three New Zealand airmen to receive the medal.
Lloyd Trigg was only 29 when he died, and he was survived by his wife and two sons.
Ivan Marinovich was 26, Arthur Bennett was 29, Lawrence Frost was 22 and Terence Soper was 21.
They are commemorated on the Malta Memorial and on our Roll of Honour.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
You can read more here: airforcemuseum.co.nz/blog/flying-officer-lloyd-allan-trigg-vc-dfc-submarine-hunter/
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Flying Officer Trigg VC is remembered in the Kaitaia RSA . We will remember them .
We Will Remember Them - Lest We Forget 🙏
R.I.P. Lest we forget .
Respect 🙏 🫡 🤲
Rest in peace, lads.
LEST WE FORGET
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THREE AND FREE AFTER 3PM! Kobe Takarangi-Moore brought his mum Samantha along to take advantage of our Free after 3 Hunt offer.
That's right, our world famous childrens' hunts are FREE AFTER 3PM, Monday to Friday in August.
Just to complicate things, Kobe is actually three!
And his favourite aircraft is the De Havilland Moth, because it is 'lellow'.
If you are three or over, and you're free, after school, kindy or work, and you fancy a FREE HUNT, make like Kobe and #freeafter3o our place.
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