What are the opening hours?

Thursday 10am - 3pm Friday 10am - 3pm Saturday 10am - 3pm Sunday 10am - 3pm

The Aviator Experience

Name: The Aviator Experience
Address: 705 Pollen Street, Thames, NZ
Price range: $$
Rating: 5

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The Aviator Experience

Where everyone can be a fighter pilot. Find us now at 705 Pollen Street, Thames, NZ Planning a special event? We can host up to 30 guests, fully catered.
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Whether you're just after a coffee or you want to fly a Spitfire, there's something for everyone at The Aviator Experience. After a coffee and delicious brunch, try flying a Spitfire like Grandad did in WWII, or if you're a Top Gun fan, get into the cockpit of an F-14 Tomcat and have a go at landing on a carrier deck. Bring a group of friends and take each other down or try some formation flying -

both are harder than you think! Get in touch if you'd like to find out more about what we do or if you'd like a test flight before booking a session or event.

13/11/2024

Here’s the FB version for those having issues with Instagram.

Do I really look that old lol

10/11/2024

This is AI generated of what it may have been like in WWI, unbelievable times for unbelievably brave men.

The aspect I often think about is the horrific situation for the animals, horses especially.

We will remember them.

10/11/2024

We will remember them. Today on the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month of 1918, we remember the ultimate sacrifices paid by nearly 40 million military and civilian people during WWI.
Around 16,000 New Zealanders did not return, and a further 41,000 were wounded. Add to that the mental wounds of those that did return.

As the days and years pass, please remember them, as their sacrifices were not given lightly and the lessons learned should never be forgotten.

08/11/2024

PLEASE WELCOME our latest front of house / bar manager who starts very soon, she is an ex USAF F16 pilot. .......
Ok this is not quite true, we will however be looking for another front of house superstar in the near future, so if you believe you could work for this outrageous rabble of a team called The Aviator in Thames please make contact.

Yes we believe work should be fun, because happy staff = happy customers 🙂

05/11/2024

The Ultimate Christmas Gift !

If you are looking for something different, something special for your loved one this year then why don't you get them a voucher from The Aviator to fly a Fighter Jet, WWII Warbird or even a Helicopter. A 5 star rated experience for ages 12 and above. All vouchers have no expiry (we honour all vouchers no matter how old).
We are conveniently located in the coromandel town of Thames just 1.25 hours from central Auckland, 1.5 hours from Hamilton and Tauranga.

We are also a licensed ala carte cafe so family can sit back and enjoy whilst their "pilot" gets their inner Top Gun on.

Vouchers start from just $29 :)

03/11/2024

Surely the F-16 Block 70 would have been a nice upgrade to the original F-16’s the RNZAF was looking at?

30/10/2024

An absolutely stunning photo from PO C Weissenborn of the Royal New Zealand Air Force on the arrival of our latest C-130J-30

Only 1 more to arrive and our Hercules fleet is back up to full strength.

Check out more photos over at the official FB page of the Royal New Zealand Air Force

30/10/2024

Well yesterday’s post made for interesting reading 🙂 If you were the NZ government and you were going to bring back a combat strike force, what would be your choices and why?

29/10/2024

We are
Hiring
(see below for details)

28/10/2024

What would the RNZAF have looked like today if our fleet of F-16’s hadn’t been cancelled 😞

27/10/2024

Echo still hasn’t had her first flight yet due to broken wing feathers but it won’t be long

25/10/2024

And welcome to the club Mr. Roger Gibbs of the GMC Flight Crew who is #39 on our official Bucket List :)
The list is becoming very distinguished with actual real world pilots:)

24/10/2024

Everyone knows a little goes a long way, so $2 from every “Pull To Eject” key ring is donated to the Westpac Coromandel Rescue Helicopter Trust.

Get your “Pull To Eject” key ring at The Aviator today (just $7) and help fund a life saving service that you hope you never need but you damn sure want if you do.

Only available in store.

23/10/2024

Coffee Happy Hour 10am till 11am every Thursday and Friday $4 Large Flatwhite

Why pay more than you need to!

20/10/2024

Just going to leave this here, obviously the bribes we are paying are working off (jet plane lollies and affordable coffee).

17/10/2024

Donated by Thames local Mr Cooper (we like to say on loan) to the Aviator yesterday was this stunning P8 Spitfire / Hurricane compass in original box with strap.

Note the date stamps where it’s been put into service (86 years ago).

If you have anything you would like to donate / loan to us, please note that we are predominantly looking for military aviation items from WWII onwards for our future plans here in Thames.

Thank you Mr Cooper, like so many others in the area, your support of our little business is appreciated.

Address

705 Pollen Street
Thames

Opening Hours

Thursday	10am - 3pm
Friday	10am - 3pm
Saturday	10am - 3pm
Sunday	10am - 3pm

Website

http://www.theaviator.co.nz/

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Videos

This is AI generated of what it may have been like in WWI, unbelievable times for unbelievably brave men. The aspect I often think about is the horrific situation for the animals, horses especially. We will remember them.

The Ultimate Christmas Gift ! If you are looking for something different, something special for your loved one this year then why don't you get them a voucher from The Aviator to fly a Fighter Jet, WWII Warbird or even a Helicopter. A 5 star rated experience for ages 12 and above. All vouchers have no expiry (we honour all vouchers no matter how old). We are conveniently located in the coromandel town of Thames just 1.25 hours from central Auckland, 1.5 hours from Hamilton and Tauranga. We are also a licensed ala carte cafe so family can sit back and enjoy whilst their "pilot" gets their inner Top Gun on. Vouchers start from just $29 :)

First Flight

Echo still hasn’t had her first flight yet due to broken wing feathers but it won’t be long

Looking for something different for your work Xmas party this year? * Would you like to know who your Top Gun is? * Are you Maverick, Iceman or Goose? The Aviator Experience in Thames is an all weather, indoor event, eatery and fully licensed bar for the ULTIMATE Christmas party. The perfect event space for teams up to 45 people. Enquire now as limited dates and times available.

Don’t touch my feet

Who’s your favourite Aviator pet? Echo the Magpie or Gilbert the Softy?

Best Mates

Here we have Echo again, our very own Squawking Magpie with her two best friends, Piper and Mr. Gilbert. Who do you think is the boss? And yes, we do love black and white.

First Flight and Echo

This is Echo, our family magpie who wants to let everyone know that you can now enjoy the "First Flight" range of wines at The Aviator Cafe & Bar Thames. These awesome wines are from Squawking Magpie in the Hawkes Bay and our current selection includes: * Syrah * Chardonnay * Cabinet Sauvignon Malbec Echo is our rescued magpie who has free range of our property and just loves to interact with other pets and people (more on echo soon) Squawking Magpie Wines #ThamesCoromandel

Lorraine, Lorraine, Lorraine - thank you for flying with us today, you are world famous now, made everyone in the place look at you 🙂

What is Fight Club? It's where people who love military aviation can hang out, talk lots of rubbish about how good they are at flying warbirds such as the P-51 Mustang, Mk IX Spitfire, BF-109 and even fast jets such as the F-18 Hornet, F-14 Tomcat and F-16 Falcon. Fight Club Nights include: * Air to Air Combat - Everyone for themselves * Air to Air Combat - Three vs Three * Air to Air Combat - 1 v 1 Leaderboard Challenges * Air to Ground Bombing Challenges * Formation Flying * Carrier Landing Operations Do you have what it takes? (which isn't a lot if we are being honest about ourselves lol) Membership Fees Apply Must be 18+ (youth fight club is coming soon)

Toasted sandwiches can be a culinary delight, offering a perfect combination of crispy bread and gooey fillings. Whether it's a classic grilled cheese with melty cheddar or a gourmet creation with artisanal ingredients, there's something universally comforting about biting into a warm, toasty sandwich. And the Smoked Chicken with Camembert, Spinach, Onion, Pesto and Cheese between two large cut pieces of Ciabatta bread is one of the favourites at the moment. Gourmet Toasties $15 or $20 as a combo with a LARGE coffee Great Food & Coffee | Great Sims | Great Service and Affordable The Aviator 705 Pollen Street, Thames NZ Thur to Sun 9am - 4pm Why pay more than you need to!

When you ask for a large coffee, you expect a large coffee. So at The Aviator, we strongly believe in delivering great hot drinks at affordable prices. Not only that, it has to taste great as well, which is why we use Sou'Wester Beans from Halo Coffee. It's laid back and uncomplicated with a hint of caramel, it’s just the thing for your everyday coffee fix. Why pay more than you have to for a quality coffee. The Aviator Experience, 705 Pollen Street, Thames, NZ. Thurs to Sunday 9am till 4pm (winter hours) Great Food & Coffee | Great Sims | Great Service | Affordable

Fight Club Open Night

It’s red alert at The Aviator with everyone in mustangs for this round, spitfires next followed up by some 1 v 1’s. Who knew Thames had a red light district huh 🤔 :)

Shortcuts

Fighter Pilots Wanted!

Do you have the skill to take on a MiG-29 from the cockpit of an F-18 Hornet?

Probably not unless you’ve been in the US Air Force, but you will after you’ve been to see us!

Our ultra realistic VR Flight Simulators give you the most incredible flying experience outside of a real aircraft you can have. Climb into your cockpit, strap in, and take the controls of a Spitfire, Mustang, F-14 Tomcat, F-18 Hornet or other aircraft of your choice.

Dogfight your mates, try an aircraft carrier landing, or simply fly around and look at the stunning scenery. There are no slow Jumbo’s or Cessna’s in our hanger, just fast and furious Military Warbirds to really get your adrenaline pumping.