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
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RNZAF! Today's the day - many happy returns to the RNZAF.
Our air force was formed on 1 April 1937, and since then hundreds of thousands of Kiwis have served in the RNZAF all over the world.
More than 4600 of New Zealanders have died while in the service of the RNZAF or other allied air forces - and we remember them.
We're also planning ahead for the 90th anniversary next year.
And here are some historic and much more contemporary pictures for you to enjoy to celebrate those who serve, and continue to serve#NZDFy#RNZAFzdf #rnzaf ... See MoreSee Less
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Happy birthday RNZAF
Happy Birthday RNZAF! Heres hoping next year there will be some air show participation!
Happy 89th birthday RNZAF
Gary Judith Steel
Happy Birthday in memory of the finest
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LUCKY JIM: When it came to choosing which RNZAF aircraft to be photographed with, Warrant Officer (retired) Jim Fordyce was torn between our Avro 626 and our C-47 Dakota – so we took his picture with both.
Young Jim joined the RNZAF as a boy entrant in 1955. Over the next 30 years he worked his way up the ranks, served in war zones, married and raised four kids with his wife Hazel, and learned enough good stuff to stand him in good stead for a long career out of uniform.
He started as an airframe technician, and one of his ‘baggy’ jobs as a youngster was to look after our VIP Dakota.
“I don’t know how many times I polished that rimu. To be able to see it again and sit in it – well, I was just blown away.’’
At the other end of his career, he worked on the restoration of our Avro 626 to flying condition, and it is an aircraft that will always be special to him.
While Jim was an engineer by trade, he was a private pilot in his spare time. Just quietly, he logged many hours in the second seat in Devons and Dakotas – whenever copilots were in short supply.
Jim’s postings included California for Skyhawk maintenance training, Thailand and Singapore.
“I was in Singapore in 1963 when we got a signal to say war had broken out in Vietnam and were officially on a war footing. We thought they were pulling our leg!’’
Looking back after all these years, he doesn’t regret that decision as a 17-year-old from Feilding to march into Woodbourne.
“To be honest the first eight years or so were hard when you’re a baggy and you’re polishing a Dakota it can be hard going. But then you get a family and you learn a lot and promotions come through you realise there is a path forward and it is a great life. I was lucky and I wouldn’t change it.’’
These days he is no longer flying officially, so he has built himself a flight simulator in his Palmerston North garage. In 1985 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to the RNZAF.
We’ve made him a Member of the Order of the Air Force Museum Avro Appreciation Society now as well. The medal is in the post.
#rnzafpastandpresent #avro626 #dakota #c47dakota #douglasdakota ... See MoreSee Less
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I recall the hours spent polishing the outside of 51 in the 60's but we were lucky the roped in hosties had to polish the inside. I also remember you and the team working on the Avro in the early 80's and picking you up on the Feilding workers bus. Like Terry says good to see you are still upright.
Well done Jim,used to enjoy walking across AMS at Ohakea every day to see the amazing work you and your team were doing on the Avro 626 restoration back in the early 80s
Congratulations Jim on such a wonderful and long career! I can still remember you beavering away on the 626 in the corner of the hangar as we mounted the stairs to push pen and paper around upstairs.
What a great day Jim. 😀😀😀
Well done Jim, great to see you catch up with two of the key aircraft involved with your RNZAF life.
Thanks Don, great article
Congratulations on such a long career Jim, great to hear you still up and running👍👍👍👍
Well done on a long career Jim. Good to see that you are still upright.
Was good to catch up at Lake Tekapo in motor home mode.
I learnt alot from Jim working for him, with him and along side him on the Avro 626. Set me up for life and a career working with old aircraft.
Paul McSweeny
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BRRRR!!!: We can always tell when the temperature drops at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand - our de Havilland Tiger Moth puts its warm coat on.
It is the most posh of all our aircraft - it is the only one with a monogrammed coat.
And at 83-years-young - Tiger Moth NZ825 (aka ZN1481) has earned the right to feel the cold.
If you're feeling the cold and looking for something FREE to do in Christchurch - get along to see us.
We're open from 9.30am until 4.30pm and we're nic#dehavilland
#dehavillandtigermothi#tigermothmoth #tigermoth ... See MoreSee Less
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I designed and built that cover for the RNZAF Historic Flight Tiger Moth when I ran the Fabric Bay at Wigram in 1992-1993. It's lasted very well, by the look of it.