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
JOHN BOY ENTRANT: Flight Sergeant (retired) John Donovan dropped by on his way home from Warbirds over Wānaka to make sure we're looking after his old charges properly.
John left home in Te Puke in 1955 to join the RNZAF as a Boy Entrant, starting out as an air frame specialist. He spent the next 23 years in a number of roles and postings, ending up as an instructor.
His favourite posting was Laucala Bay in Fiji with No. 5 Squadron working on Sunderlands.
He also worked on Freighters and was on the team that went to Marietta in Georgia to replace the original centre wing sections on the RNZAF's C-130 Hercules.
But his favourite job of all was a posting as an Iroquois crew member with No. 3 Squadron.
"When the Iroquois were new they did not have a specific role for crew, so they used to send us along with a tool box. We were a crew member and a mechanic all in one.''
John left the RNZAF in 1978 and went on to a long career in aviation as an instructor, working all over the world with Air New Zealand, Gulf Air, Ansett and he trained as an Airbus specialist in Toulouse, France. He retired only a few years ago at 80 - yes 80!
Starting out as a boy entrant and going through the RNZAF system to instructor level stood him in good stead, he says.
"The RNZAF teachers practice course was excellent and I could take what I learned with me to any job.''
Thanks for dropping by and thanks for your service Flight!
#rnzaf #airbus #airnzengineering ... See MoreSee Less
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Good old Preggy. 🫡
John would have been in Fiji working on the Sunderland Flying Boats, at the same time as a Pilot l knew,Derek Scott,from Geraldine.We lived across the road from them and he was flying the Sutherlands in the late 50's,l remember.
He may well know a bloke i know who was a Engineer Through the RNZAF Too and was the Manager for the Air New Zealand Training School before he retired by the name of Allen McDonnell
What a fantastic career!
Looking good Droopy. I take it you’re not playing a lot of rugby these days. 🤪
You are looking good John, great to see you.
Good to still see you vertical John.
Wow ,what a great career
Great to see you Droopy. Cheers.
Hi John. You have done well.
Greetings Droopy Donovan.. great to see you in good spirits... Cheers!!
Blast from the past.youve done well. Eng
Looking good JD...
Great to see you John. Very best regards Graeme.
🫡
Hi JD.
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GREBE DAY: Don't forget today is Gloster Grebe Day today at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand!
Kicking off at 10am, the team behind the project to build a reproduction of Gloster Grebe NZ501 will unveil their plans.
Project backers Stephen Carruthers, Mike Marra and Anthony Galbraith will outline how they intend to recreate what is one of the most significant aircraft in New Zealand’s military aviation history.
Back in 1926 Sir Henry Wigram contributed £2500 to encourage the New Zealand Government to take aviation seriously. That donation resulted in the purchase of three Grebes for the defence of New Zealand.
NZ501 was the first to arrive at Wigram in February 1928, and it was the most advanced aircraft in the land back then.
One Grebe was destroyed in an accident in 1932, and the last two Grebes were retired in 1938, becoming instructional airframes. They were broken up in 1943.
This talk is FREE and on in our Theatre. No need to book.
Short Talk: The return of Gloster Grebe NZ501
Saturday 11 April 10am ... See MoreSee Less
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CHIZZY AND THE P-3: An email landed the other day with a tip-off that someone was travelling to Christchurch for a holiday and was desperate to reunite with NZ4203, our P-3K2 Orion.
Reuben ‘Chizzy’ Chiswell joined the RNZAF in 2017 and spent six years as a ‘tweet’ or air warfare specialist on No. 5 Squadron at Whenuapai.
Chizzy logged 1600 hours at his station in the mighty Lockheeds, patrolling all over the world and taking part in humanitarian and disaster relief work.
NZ4203 is the aircraft he was first signed off on as a qualified specialist and he completed his first successful search and rescue mission after the NZ4203 crew discovered a Kiribati fishing boat lost in a lonely corner of the Pacific.
He also flew on NZ4203’s retirement flight to Woodbourne after the aircraft's 54 years of extraordinary service to New Zealand.
He loved his time on the Orions, with air sickness and nourishing meals mixed in to his memories.
“I remember cooking roast lamb while flying over the ice, a lot of bacon butties, some tuna steaks and pies for breakfast. And being sick of course after pulling 2Gs due to low level flying for hours on end.’’
It was his partner Caitlin Gray who got in touch to say Chizzy was missing seeing NZ4203, so a special visit was arranged for the Auckland couple.
“I was emotional seeing it, maybe a bit sad,’’ Reuben said.
“There are so many stories tied up with it – not just mine – and I hope to see it on display next time I’m here. I feel like not a lot is known about all the work the Orions did, and the stories should be told.’’
Reuben is a supporter of our Home for Heroes campaign. Our aim is to build the Orion – and its big friend the C-130 Hercules – a forever home.
You can help here: airforcemuseum.co.nz/donate/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Great to see you Chizzy hope life is treating you well 🙏
Thank you for your service Chizzy. 👍
Sad is when they cut them up into plane tags.