RNZAF Base Ohakea RNZAF Base Ohakea is an operational base of the Royal New Zealand Air Force . Opened in 1939 , it located is near Bulls , 25 km north west of Palmerston North in the Manawatu . It is also a diversion landing point for civilian aircraft . Early days . An air base was originally proposed in the area in 1927 , when Ohakea was selected as the most suitable site for a mooring mast for airships of the British Imperial Airship service . It was proposed to build one mast for a demonstration flight , with the potential for expansion to a full airship base with three masts , airship sheds and hydrogen production . However , there was no point in going ahead with the development of the site without a commitment from the Australian Government to build masts to provide bases in that country . When the Australian Government declined to build masts , the New Zealand Government declined likewise . 1930s development . In 1935 the Labour government committed to an expansion of the military air service at the expense of the navy , seeing this as a way of reducing the total defence vote . At the end of 1935 the government accepted an air service expansion plan developed by RAF Wing Commander Ralph Cochrane . The plan called for several new bases , with a major development at Ohakea , which would be home to 30 Wellington bombers on order for the RNZAF . Two large hangars ( now hangars 2 and 3 ) were authorised to house the aircraft , to be designed by the Department of Public Works chief design engineer Charles Turner . Turner decided to build the hangars as monolithic reinforced concrete structures because structural steel could not be obtained in sufficient quantities without delays , while concrete and reinforcing steel could be delivered immediately . The same limitation forced Turner to adopt concrete doors . The arched hangars spanned 61 metres , with a height of 18 metres . The expense of the steel centering was spread across four hangars , as another two similar structures were ordered for Whenuapai air base in Auckland . The two Ohakea hangars were completed in 1939 , at a cost of about £76 , 750 each . Ultimately , the Wellington bombers for which the hangars were built never arrived , as they were donated to Britain at the start of the second world war . However , the hangars have been in continuous use since their construction , and ( re - roofed in steel ) remain in use today . Military service . During World War II Ohakea was the RNZAF main training base for operational conversion on fighters , observers / navigators for medium bombers and air gunners . After World War II No 14 , No 42 and No 75 squadrons were re - formed at Ohakea , and No . 1 Repair Depot relocated from Hamilton . Since the end of the war Ohakea has been the RNZAF ' s strike base , with Nos 14 and 75 Squadrons resident . A long - time resident , No 42 Squadron relocated to Whenuapai in 1984 to allow the reformation of No 2 Squadron to HMAS Albatross , Nowra , Australia in 1991 . In 1993 RNZAF flying training previously carried out at Wigram by the Pilot Training Squadron and the RNZAF ' s Central Flying School moved to Ohakea . Also in 1993 a new aviation wing of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum was opened at Ohakea . Nos 14 and 75 Squadrons disbanded in November 2001 , and No 42 squadron relocated back to Ohakea in January 2002 . There are currently around 650 personnel based at Ohakea . A plan to consolidate all RNZAF operations at Ohakea was abandoned in March 2009 as part of a change of policy on the part of the incoming National Government who chose to retain two operational air bases , Ohakea and Whenuapai , for use by the RNZAF Civilian functions . Ohakea is a secondary diversion airport for heavy civilian aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 if both Auckland and Christchurch airports are temporarily closed . Ohakea does not have the facilities to process that number of passengers , so the aircraft must wait for either Auckland , Wellington or Christchurch airports to reopen . Ohakea has been the subject of a feasibility study into mixed - use military and civilian freight capability , which has included lengthening the main runway to accommodate the Boeing 747 .