A group of retired and serving Flight Engineers have gathered to mark the official retirement of the Flight Engineer’s Brevet, an incredibly significant event in the life of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
The retirement of the P-3 Orion and C-130H Hercules also coincided with the last flights by RNZAF Flight Engineers due to the replacement aircraft, P8 Poseidon and C-130J Hercules, no longer requiring their roles.
The final flight of an RNZAF aircraft where a Flight Engineer was part of the crew was the landing of Hercules NZ7001 here at the museum on Wednesday 19 February 2025.
On Saturday 29 March 2025, 57 former and serving engineers, accompanied by partners and colleagues, attended the retirement function at the museum.
The function began with a reading of the names of Flight Engineers on the museum’s Roll of Honour who had died in service.
The Last Post and Reveille were then sounded, followed by a one-minute silence and then a wreath laying.
The wreath was laid beneath the Roll of Honour by one of the oldest Flight Engineers in attendance, Noel Moffat, who served from 1964 to 1979.
Noel was accompanied by the youngest Flight Engineer present, Flight Sergeant Darren Matheson, who joined in 2011 and is still serving.
Later in the evening the two most senior Flight Engineers present, Group Captain AJ Young and Group Captain Brendon Clark addressed the crowd before Group Captain Young and Flight Sergeant Matheson officially laid up the Engineers’ Brevet.
The museum was then presented a commemorative propellor inscribed with all the aircraft types on which Flight Engineers had served.
The propeller was signed on the reverse side by all the Flight Engineers present that evening.
It was an incredibly moving and special service for the museum to host.
To all those Flight Engineers that have served their country through the years we owe you a large debt of gratitude and your museum is proud to tell your story of service and sacrifice so it is never forgotten.
