Where Warplanes Slept

When the Second World War ended, New Zealand found itself with a problem, hundreds of surplus RNZAF aircraft with no war left to fight. The solution? Fly them into Rukuhia Airfield, just south of Hamilton, and leave them neatly parked in long rows across the paddocks.

At its peak, more than 400 Kittyhawks, Corsairs, and other aircraft were stored here. Some were still in flying condition, complete with maps and gear left inside. Others were gradually stripped for parts or scrapped, their remains scattered across the Waikato landscape. For locals, the sight of so many warplanes in one place became both ordinary and extraordinary, a daily reminder of how suddenly the world had changed.

But Rukuhia did not remain an aircraft graveyard forever. Over time, the rows of parked planes disappeared, making way for a new purpose. Today, the site is home to Hamilton Airport, a busy hub for domestic travellers, freight, and general aviation. Where once the silence of grounded warplanes filled the air, now the hum of modern aircraft connects Kirikiriroa to the rest of Aotearoa.

Rukuhia’s story reminds us how wartime legacies continue to shape the places we live, sometimes in the most unexpected ways.

Hamilton Airport, 1966. Reference: 17 Mar 1966