The United States Air Force's largest plane has touched down at Auckland's Whenuapai air base with special cargo.
The C-5M Super Galaxy landed on Wednesday night to deliver components for a new C-130J Hercules simulator.
Main roads around Whenuapai were gridlocked with spectators who watched it land. An RNZ video journalist at the scene estimated there were at least 150 people watching.
The aircraft had a wingspan of 67.89 metres and a maximum takeoff weight of just over 381 tonnes.
In December the last of five new C-130J Hercules arrived in New Zealand to replace the C-130H Hercules that had been the workhorse of the Royal New Zealand Air Force for 60 years.
The simulator will train air and ground crews operating the new planes and provide a safe and secure space for pilot training.
An integrated project team, led by the Ministry of Defence, had been working with the US Air Force, Canadian technology company CAE USA and Lockheed Martin to deliver the simulator to the New Zealand Defence Force
The simulator parts will be unloaded on Thursday, with a second delivery expected in due course. NZDF said the technology would be ready for use next year.
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