The Museum’s origin began in June 1993 when John Bullock of local Radio 2XX at the time, arranged a public meeting of people interested in such an enterprise. An informal group of about 20 local aviation enthusiasts moved forward over the following nine months and Museum of Aviation Limited was registered as a Charitable Community Company on 2 March 1994. The inaugural directors were John Bullock, Wilson Lattey, Robert Creed, John Ford, Cedric Leicester, Ray Dixon, Doug Greenfield and Jean Macdonald. Jean took on the secretarial duties. At the 1996 AGM the status was changed to become an incorporated society, registered as having charitable status.
In 1994 the Airways Corporation of NZ (ACNZ) agreed to the Museum’s use of their redundant meteorological office building adjacent to the airport control tower as the Museum’s display and meeting place. That same year the Ministry of Transport made available part of the adjacent former Rescue Fire building which is now used for museum storage. In 2007 ownership of the airport passed to Paraparaumu Airport Ltd (now Kāpiti Coast Airport Ltd).
The Museum continues to record and display dioramas, photographs, scale models, and the history of Paraparaumu Airport. This includes its use during WW11 by the RNZAF and subsequently by National Airways Corporation, Safe Air, Civil Aviation’s Calibration Flight, a number of aero clubs and flying schools, a gliding club and skydivers since the airport was opened in 1939
