A new Warbirds and aviation-themed visitor attraction will open at Wanaka Airport later this year and many Fighter Pilots Museum items will remain in Wanaka to be exhibited in that facility.
However, thousands of other items will go north to Christchurch.
Air Force Museum curatorial officers Darren Hammond and Matthew O'Sullivan have the task of packaging artefacts and taking them to Christchurch, where they will be documented, conserved and stored until required for exhibitions or research.
The curators said the collection contained "some real gems" and it would take a staff member a year just to document and research them.
The national museum was on the former RNZAF Wigram base, employed 28 curatorial staff and collected "everything from uniform buttons to aircraft", Mr Hammond said.
Air Force Museum collections manager David Watmuff said this week the museum was "bulging at the seams", following the rescue of items from the seriously earthquake-damaged Lyttelton and Sumner museums.
Wigram's collection received only minor damage during the February 22 earthquake and the museum reopened to the public on March 1.
Mr Watmuff said the Fighter Pilot collection would be in good hands.
Mr Hammond has more than 20 years' museum experience, trained as an aircraft conservation engineer and previously worked for the Royal Air Force Museum in the United Kingdom.
Mr O'Sullivan has a photography background and has been in charge of Wigram's photography exhibits for 13 years.
Original Fighter Pilot collection donors are being asked to confirm they approve of the transfer of their items to the national museum.
Mr Watmuff said many letters seeking confirmation had been "returned to sender", probably because donors had died.
In that case, families of the original donors could also get in touch with him, he said.
The Warbirds Over Wanaka Charitable Trust will manage the new Wanaka Airport visitor attraction, which will still tell the story of warbird aircraft and fighter pilots but include wider elements of Wanaka's aviation history.
Other displays will feature classic cars and wearable art.
Wigram's Vampire aircraft has been on loan to Wanaka for several years and will stay in Wanaka and be displayed at the new attraction, which will be housed in the former Alpine Deer Group hangar at the entrance to the airport.
