| 1912 | First New Zealand army officer undergoes pilot training in the UK | |
| 1913 | Bleriot XI monoplane presented to the NZ government | |
| 1918 | Several New Zealand fighter pilots become aces in the First World War | |
| 1923 | New Zealand Permanent Air Force officially established | |
| 1934 | NZPAF is renamed the Royal New Zealand AIr Force | |
| 1937 | RNZAF becomes an independent military service | |
| 1939 | New Zealand joins the Empire Air Training Scheme | |
| December 1941 | Start of the Pacific War with Japan | |
| 1942 | First Lend-Lease aircraft arrive from USA for home defence | |
| 15 August 1945 | VJ Day – Japan surrenders | |
| 1952 | 14 Sqn deploys to Cyprus | |
| 1956 | RNZAF Antarctic Flight first formed | |
| 1957 | Territorial Air Force disbanded | |
| 1965 | RNZAF begins participation in Vietnam War | |
| 1985 | End of New Zealand participation in ANZUS treaty | |
| 2001 | RNZAF combat wing is scrapped |
Key Dates
of the Royal New Zealand Air Force