Tour A
Workshop and Reserve Collection Tour
Our Museum Aviation specialists, PJ Smith & Nathan Bosher, will guide you through the museum workshop and the reserve collection. Learn about our restoration of a Vickers Vildebeest, the only surviving aircraft of its type in the world. Gain an insight into the intricacies of museum restoration/conservation processes.
In the reserve collection you will see more rare aviation equipment, aircraft and engines, ranging from WW1 through to the modern day. These all have fascinating stories to tell about the evolution of the RNZAF.
Tour A available times
A1 Sunday 10:45
A2 Sunday 11:45
Tour B available times
B1 Saturday 15:15
B2 Sunday 9:55
B3 Sunday 14:15
Tour B
Under the Covers’ Tour
Only a fraction of the museum’s collection is usually open to the public. Join our Museum Aviation specialists, PJ Smith & Nathan Bosher, to see what lurks under the covers, in the boxes and at the back of the hangars. The challenges and issues facing storage of museum collections will be explained.
You will discover how big the museum site is and gain an understanding of the various historic buildings the museum occupies. As an added bonus, you will have interactive access to an Iroquois helicopter and learn about the RNZAF’s Search and Rescue role.
Tour C
The Andover: Versatile Workhorse.
Your hosts, Barry Lennox and Francie Clark will give you an insight to the Hawker Siddeley Andover. This is a very versatile aircraft that served the RAF, and RNZAF the world over. Both veterans of RNZAF Andover operations, they will cover the Andover’s unique capabilities which made this aircraft one of its kind. Take the opportunity to be shown inside and learn about its VHF / UHF radio progression from the ARC52 to the ARC182.
Tour C available times
C1 Sunday 9:05
C2 Sunday 9:30
C3 Saturday 16:10
Tour D
Curator talk: Trench Art and more!
The Air Force Museum of New Zealand holds a vast collection, from full sized aircraft to uniform buttons.
Join Emma Johnson, Objects Curator, to hear about some of the smallest – and intriguing – objects in the collection: trench art (decorative items that have a direct link to armed conflict; the name originating from the trench warfare of World War One), sweetheart jewellery and other items made from war materials.
The Air Force Museum holds a number of items made in the Pacific Islands during World War Two. RNZAF servicemen often found themselves with not much to do when they were off duty and made all sorts of items to keep them themselves occupied, using whatever materials they could find. Trench art objects are made from the likes of brass artillery shells or bullet casings, and Perspex plastic from aircraft canopies or windscreens. There are also objects made from local materials like coconut shell and turtle shell.
Tour D available times
D1 Sunday 16:30
Tour E available times
E1 Saturday 14:15
E2 Saturday 16:00
Tour E
Curator talk: Behind the Archive door
Join Simon Moody, our Research Curator and hear out about the kinds of work that goes on in the museum archives. Visit areas not usually accessible to the public. Be introduced to some of the historic and technical archival items in our collection which help tell the story of the men and women behind the aircraft.
Tour F
Wireless Wings
View the Museums reserve collection of mostly WW11 and early post war vintage radio and ancillary equipment. Amongst our collection are a number of very familiar items but some you will never have seen before.
Learn or reacquaint yourself with a fully assembled ARC-5 Airborne Transmitter / Receiver, one of the main stay comms during the Second World War.
This is a rare chance to view artefacts not normally accessible to the public.
Tour F available times
F1 Sunday 8:30
F2 Sunday 13:15
F3 Sunday 15:30