What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Latest from the museum
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
Latest Exhibition
Victory!
It is 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
Our Victory exhibition, upstairs in the atrium, marks this significant milestone in world history, and the story of the RNZAF.
Victory includes images and memories of Victory in Europe (VE) Day and Victory over Japan (VJ) Day which have been sourced from photographs, letters, postcards and personal histories in our collection.
Victory includes insights into how Kiwis celebrated, and how they felt.
Many found it difficult to rejoice after so much loss and suffering.
You’re welcome to come along and learn all about the end of World War Two with us.
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.
Learn More
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.
Learn More
Our Aircraft
Explore AircraftMore to explore
JUMBO NEWS: The Government’s decision to make RNZAF Base Ohakea available as a round-the-clock alternative runway for wide body aircraft has sent us rummaging through the photo collection.
Currently its use is restricted to 5am until 10.30pm daily when the control tower is staffed.
The Government is providing an additional $4.57 million in funding for Airways New Zealand to allow 24/7 staffing in case wide body aircraft need to divert.
The airlines are delighted because it adds extra flexibility to the way they operate international services.
Ohakea’s runway is 2,447m long and it has been used as an alternative runway for decades. Our pictures show it has hosted some unexpected jumbo-sized visitors over the years.
In October 1982 Pan American Airways Boeing 747 N733PA 'Clipper Pride of the Sea' landed after being diverted due to low fuel.
And in March 1997 United Airlines Boeing 747 diverted due to bad weather.
Ohakea dates back to 1937, when work started on what was the RNZAF’s new bomber base. It was opened in 1939.
#ohaeka #jumbojet #panam ... See MoreSee Less
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I appreciate the Air Force Museum of New Zealand embracing the word alternative in the face of the northern hemisphere driven ‘alternate’. 🙂👍
I was at Ohakea the day the PanAm 747 came in. When it departed the jet efflux from the outboard engines destroyed quite a lot of the frangible runway edge lights. And the cloud of dust from the runway edge was also pretty impressive.
The galaxy that brought Clinton’s gear in for apec 1999 and took our M113’s to Aussie for INTERFET East Timor
Wouldnt the landing fees cover this?
I was living in Bulls when that PanAm plane came in - still remember how excited we were as kids - made a change from the usual Skyhawks, Hercs and Aussie F1-11s 🙂
Watched Air Force One land there early 1975 I think it was.
on an aeroclub trip, where we were invited to fly in, we were asked to land 'well in'.. lol. you could just about land a c152 across the runway its so huge.
Early steps toward another US airforce base, or is it for wide-body commercial aircraft only?
I was related to the Fairbrothers who owned th farm across the road from Ohakea he was my grandmother's brother her name was Mavis
2007, at least five heavies land at Ohakea on the same day, 777's plus. An Iroquois flew above with some stunning piccs from base photog resulting. But the biggest elephant in the room is that Ohakea is the only airbase/runway facility we can legally load, install or fit weapons and or munitions, due to the very tight civ/mil explos ives regulations for transportation, loading and storage in NZ. Therefore Ohakea has to remain military in every way to ensure we do not destroy the main reason Ohakea air base exists, from the past to its future.
I remember seeing a Singapore Airlines plane there not too many years ago - was a huge surprise
Don't forget the Emirates A380 that landed there in 1997!!
There was a Singapore Airlines one there one Saturday in June 2014 as we drove down SH1 to the Kapiti Coast. We promised ourselves to get a pic of it on our return drive the next day but by then it had gone.
That's nearly $1900/hr for the extra 6.5 hrs each day, if that 4.5 million is an annual amount. Given the infrastructure is already in place it seems a tad bit high!
Are they passing the extra cost on to the airlines that land there? Meanwhile no funding for a tug for the Cook Strait ferries.
Adam Hay
wow--those controllers will be bored as--
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HELSINKI AND BACK: Next time you’re in Finland, it would be worthwhile catching up with Antti Hietala.
Antti is a Finnish Air Force veteran and museum volunteer at Ilmailumuseo in Vatteo, otherwise known as the Finnish Aviation Museum.
The museum, which is not far from Helskinki, features a DC-3, Tiger Moth and a de Havilland Beaver – so we’ve got a lot in common.
Antti was in New Zealand for a cruise, so obviously used his time wisely by visiting an aviation museum.
Kiitos käynnistä Antti, hyvää matkaa!
#finland #ilailumuseo ... See MoreSee Less
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Place is Vantaa, and museum is really close to Hwelsinki International Airport. ilmailumuseo.fi/en/
ilmailumuseo.fi/en/
Derek 👍
ATTACHÉ CASE: Yesterday defence attachés from all over the world visited our museum as part of a tour of the South Island.
Attachés from 19 nations arrived for a briefing and tour with our Director Brett Marshall, who have them a rundown on the history of the RNZAF, starting, as ever at our roll of Honour which lists the names of more than 4,600 Kiwi aviators who lost their lives in service.
We’re not sure what the collective noun for a group of attachés is – but a formation seems good!
As attachés, they hold full diplomatic status and are high-ranking members who represent their respective defence forces in New Zealand.
The group included attachés from Australia, Chile, China, Greece, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Netherlands, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
The ranks included Group Captains, Colonels, Brigadiers and Commanders based in Wellington and Canberra. Some nations opt to cover New Zealand from Canberra – since we’re close neighbours.
Thank you for your visit! ... See MoreSee Less
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