New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum

The New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum was an aerospace museum located at Wānaka Airport on New Zealand's South Island. It closed in March 2011 (13 years ago) (2011-03) and was replaced in December 2011 by the Warbirds & Wheels museum of military aircraft as well as classic and vintage automobiles and motorcycles.[1]

The museum was founded by Sir Tim Wallis and housed in a new building at the Wānaka Airport. It was opened in 1993 (31 years ago) (1993) by retired Group Captain Colin Gray.[2] Its first curator was Ian Brodie. In 1996 museum became one of the first aerospace museums on the internet. The museum includes the Alpine Fighter Collection, dedicated to New Zealand's fighters during World War II.[3] The museum was funded, in part, by grants from the Community Trust of Otago.[4]

  1. ^ Lucy Ibbotson (28 December 2011). "Warbirds, wheels to fascinate all". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  2. ^ Peat. Page 231.
  3. ^ Philip Makanna, Jill Herron (September 2002). "Ghosts Over Wanaka". Air Classics. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2008.
  4. ^ "Museum Money". Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. 24 December 2002. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2008.