Main image

Bring Our Birds Home

$39,620 donated
Given by 462 generous donors in 8 years

'Bring Our Birds Home' is a campaign to save and recover 6 significant New Zealand air frames of historical and cultural importance.

Nationwide

'Bring Our Birds Home' is a campaign to save and recover 6 significant air frames that have played their part in the history and culture of New Zealand aviation over the past 6 decades.

These former New Zealand ordered and delivered airliners are in different locations across the globe.

Funds will be used to initially save and secure via purchase of the derelict DC-8-52, B737-219, Hs 748 and DC-10-30 asap and later facilitate the reclaiming of a B747-419 and L-188 Electra as they are withdrawn from commercial service in the next 3 - 8 years.

These aircraft were all originally delivered to TEAL, NAC and Air NZ and Mt Cook Airlines - the only ones remaining, modern day equivalents to the mighty Maori ancestral waka.

This is phase one, with your help, recovery/storage/restoration can go ahead if phase one is successful.

As of April 2018 - Bring Our Birds Home is a registered Charitable Trust.

About us

To save, secure, recover, repatriate, store and eventually display six New Zealand Airliner air frames of national historical and cultural significance.

Use of funds

Funds will be used to send recce parties lead by broadcaster Paul Brennan with an aircraft structural engineer and a negotiator to the four overseas locations (Brasil, USA, Bangladesh and Cuba to ascertain if the DC-8-52, B737-219, Hs 748 and DC-10-30 can be saved, secured and recovered.

These aircraft were all originally delivered to TEAL, NAC, Air NZ and Mt Cook Airlines - they are only ones remaining - modern day equivalents to the mighty Maori ancestral waka.

Read more
2% Effective Fee
On average, fundraisers pay just 2% to use Givealittle. This is one of the lowest effective fees in New Zealand fundraising. We charge a 5% platform fee to cover the cost of running the platform. Because most donors choose to top up their donation to cover this fee, the effective cost paid by fundraisers is about 2%. That means around 98 cents of every dollar raised goes to the cause. Learn More

Latest donations

Graeme
Graeme 6 days ago
Private
Andrew
Andrew on 24 Jan 2026
I've flown on this DC 8 (ZK-NZC) from Nadi to Auckland in 1971 and a number of 737s in the early to mid 70s and an Electra Reg: VH-ECD in 1964. Would love to see these aircraft again.
$50
Lockey
Lockey on 19 Jan 2026
Excellent guys. :) I flew Sydney to AK in Jan 1975 on one of the Air NZ DC8s :)
$20
Adrian
Adrian on 19 Jan 2026
$20
Stephan
Stephan on 18 Jan 2026
Thank you for the effort in trying to save these historic airframes.
$10

Who's involved?

Bring Our Birds Home's avatar
Created by, and paying to a verified bank account of, Bring Our Birds Home (Charity)
Registered Charity
A Registered Charity has legal recognition under the Charities Act 2005.
Tax credit
Donations of over $5 are eligible for a New Zealand charitable giving tax credit.
Page Moderated
The page has been checked by our team to make sure it complies with our terms and conditions.

Help Fundraise

You can create your own page to help fundraise for this cause.
Help Fundraise

Our other pages

Page Q&A

One question has been asked already. Check it out and ask yours here.

Any concerns?

Report this page
Grab a QR Code for this page
This campaign started on 20 Apr 2017 and ends on 10 Oct 2027.