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
FILL HER UP: If you're a bit disappointed when you fuel up today to see gas prices are still hovering around $3 a litre, spare a thought for all the De Havilland Vampire owners out there.
Vampires, the RNZAF's first jet fighter and an air force superstar for more than two decades, need 1324 litres of jet fuel to fill their nine tanks, and another 757 litres once you added in drop tanks.
That'd set you back $6,243 at the servo today - if you owned a Vampire and it ran on 91 octane.
So thank your lucky stars you don't own a Vampire, powered by a thirsty Goblin.
The RNZAF owned and operated 58 one and two-seat Vampires, they retired in 1971 after the mighty Skyhawks arrived.
📸 Flight Lieutenant Dick refuelling Vampire NZ5707 during No. 75 Squadron Exercise Waltz Time at Kaikohe and Kerikeri in 1968, when fuel prices w#dehavillandvampire
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I wonder how many aeronautical miles you got to the gallon from a Goblin. Sorry to use imperial units but they befit the era.
That's my Dad! 😍
BEAT THAT CABIN FEVER! We are sorry to say the forecast is terrible again, but we've got a ton of fun for the holidays with hunts, games and plenty of ways to keep the kids entertained in a warm and FREE destination for children.
Come along today (did we mention we are FREE!) and see our brand new Tall Tails Exhibition. It features the giant fin and rudder sections off our national heroes - the C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion.
Kids (and grandies) can fly a C-130H Hercules through the Drop Zone, try an Aermacchi cockpit for size, pilot our Balloon Busters aircraft, or discover what life was like in a prisoner of war camp in our Captured exhibit.
For just $5 you can go behind-the-scenes to our conservation centre and see the hidden gems in our reserve collection or fly a Mosquito Mission simulator on your choice of dangerous raid.
And for parents or grandparents wanting a breather, our Contact Café team is there to make you a coffee, snack or lunch!
If you’re feeling the petrol pinch, make it a full adventure by taking the bus. Hop on the Hornby bus at the central bus interchange. For full journey planning details visit go.metroinfo.co.nz/, The Air Force Museum is conveniently set up as a destination.
The Air Force Museum is free for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand. There is a $15 charge for international visitors aged over 18 years.
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Our favourite WAAF and neighbour took a starring role on Seven Sharp last night – here’s the link in case you missed it.
www.tvnz.co.nz/player/tvepisode/seven-sharp-s2026-e112-seven-sharp
Fay Hunt, 97-years young, lives at the Lady Wigram Retirement Village, a short hop from RNZAF Station Wigram where she served as a stores clerk back in the 1950s.
And last week Squadron Leader Kate Bint presented Fay with her long-overdue NZDF service medal at a special ceremony organised by the RNZAF Association and covered by Jendy and Richard from Seven Sharp.
Fay’s involvement with the RNZAF began in 1951 when her mum spotted an ad in the Daily Express about moving to New Zealand to join the WAAF.
Times were tough in the 1950s in post-war Britain, and Fay was keen to get away from food rationing and start a new life. The RNZAF was short of personnel.
She signed up to join the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and on 19 April 1951, the ship SS Atlantis left Southampton, carrying 100 British women, including young Fay, bound for New Zealand.
The group of women became known as the Ninety Niners. There were meant to be 100 of them – but one became ill on the way so they were down to 99. Hence the name!
The WAAFs served at Whenuapai in Auckland for six weeks, helping out during the waterfront strikes, and were posted to RNZAF Station Woodbourne.
Fay loved Blenheim immediately – she recalls how the whole town welcomed the English girls.
“They were so lovely and welcoming and it meant I never regretted signing up to leave England.’’
She was then posted to Wigram and met a young RNZAF engineer called Alan Hunt. They fell in love and were soon married.
Fay served as a WAAF for two years before leaving for family life with Alan. They brought up their family in Christchurch and later retired to Ashburton.
When Alan passed away a few years ago Fay decided to return to Christchurch – and where better to live than Wigram?
Fay came along to our Anzac Day service this year and connected with the RNZAF Association, and the team there helped her apply for her mdeals.
Well done Fay – thank you for your service!
Thanks @Seven Sharp for a beautiful story.
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Fay has now been made an associate member of the RNZAFA Canterbury branch and she is looking forward to attending our monthly meetings. We are very fortunate to have her amongst us
I saw the story on TV. ❤
Thank you for your service 🫡🫡🫡
I love this story. I wrote a novel based on the Wrens based in blenheim during the war and I'd love to do the same with this story. If anyone has info or diaries would love it if you got in touch
A really heartwarming story. ❤️
Fabulous to watch, amazing women back then!!
CONGRATULATIONS FAY!!xx🇳🇿♥️💐♥️
Go Fay! Debbie Ambler(Laing),Brian & Lindsay Dunn and myself had Mum’s who came out from UK in the 99ers group. The majority of them kept in touch and had regular reunions over the years. We suspect Fay is the last of the group. xx
Bless
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