Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre

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Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre

Overview
The Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre is an aviation museum at Omaka Aerodrome, near Blenheim, New Zealand. It opened in 2006 and has since been expanded, with a second stage added in 2016 and ongoing future plans supported by local government funding.

History
- In the late 1990s, aviation enthusiasts formed the Marlborough Warbirds Association and brought in aircraft such as Nanchang CJ-6 trainers.
- The New Zealand Aviation Museum Trust was created in 1997 to share aircraft with the public and help grow aviation interest in the Marlborough region.
- This collaboration led to the Marlborough Aviation Cluster, with support from Marlborough District Council and NZ Trade and Enterprise, which provided NZ$2 million in 2004 for Stage 1.
- Stage One, the Knights of the Sky WWI exhibition, opened on December 9, 2006, in a 3,000 square metre space.
- In 2011 the council provided funding to help pay off a loan; the centre funded further expansion without more public help.
- The Blenheim Riverside Railway Society added a narrow-gauge railway connection to the centre in 2015.
- Stage Two opened in November 2016.
- Planning for the next stage began in 2018. In 2022 the council approved NZ$1.7 million toward a NZ$5 million expansion, which would help attract Lottery funding. In 2020 the centre received Mosquito, P-40, and Tiger Moth aircraft from the John R. Smith collection.

Exhibits
Knights of the Sky
- The first exhibition, Knights of the Sky, showcases World War I aircraft and memorabilia, including both static displays and some flyable planes.
- The collection is on long-term loan to the museum and managed by the 14-18 Aviation Heritage Trust, chaired by film director Peter Jackson.
- The exhibit benefited from contributions by Wingnut Films and Wētā Workshop.

Dangerous Skies
- This exhibition expands the story to World War II, including the Battle of Britain and the Eastern Front.
- It features lifelike mannequins by Wētā Workshop and large dioramas with both static and flyable aircraft.

Collection
- The museum holds a wide range of military aircraft from World War I and World War II, along with artefacts and personal items from famous aviators, including memorabilia related to Manfred von Richthofen.

Aircraft on display
- The centre displays many aircraft, including replicas of early planes and several WWII aircraft such as the Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk IV, de Havilland Mosquito, de Havilland Tiger Moth, and other historic types.

Events
- Every Easter, in odd-numbered years, the Omaka airfield hosts Classic Fighters, a major air show held at the same site as the centre.

Website
Official website: www.omaka.org.nz