Antarctic Flight RAAF

Antarctic Flight RAAF
Active	1948–1963
Country	Australia
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Role	Expeditions and Rescue
Current base	RAAF Base Laverton

Military unit

The Antarctic Flight was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft flight. It operated from RAAF Base Laverton and Mawson Station. The flight was responsible for expeditions and rescue missions in Antarctica.^[1]

Two ski fitted RAAF Auster AOP.6 (A11-200 & A11-201) were based at Mawson Station from 1952. On 5 March 1954, A11-200 was lost over the side of a ship. Later the flight included two DHC-2 Beavers and one Dakota aircraft. After 1963, the RAAF planes were withdrawn.^[2]

Following this time RAAF aircraft have continued to operate infrequently in support of activities in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands. These have included a number of flights using C-130 Hercules in the 1970s and 1980s into McMurdo Sound^[1]^[3] and more recently C-17 Globemasters to Wilkins Aerodrome near Casey Station in late 2015 and early 2016.^[4]^[5]

Notes

^ ^a ^b "Antarctic Flight". RAAF Museum. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
^ Wilson 1991, pp. 32–110.
^ Wilson 1991, pp. 110–114.
^ "RAAF operates C-17 proof of concept flights to Antarctica". Australian Aviation. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
^ "Antarctic flights prove a huge success" (Press release). Department of Defence. 20 February 2016. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.

References

Wilson, David (1991). Alfresco Flight: The RAAF Antarctic Experience. Point Cook, Victoria: Royal Australian Air Force Museum. ISBN 0-642-10522-7.

Military units and formations of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)

groups

World War II	No. 1 Group RAAF No. 1 (Training) Group RAAF No. 2 Group RAAF No. 2 (Training) Group RAAF No. 4 (Maintenance) Group RAAF No. 5 (Maintenance) Group RAAF No. 9 (Operational) Group RAAF No. 10 (Operational) Group RAAF No. 11 Group RAAF
Force Element Group	Aerospace Operational Support Group RAAF Air Combat Group RAAF Air Force Training Group RAAF Air Lift Group RAAF Air Mobility Group RAAF Combat Support Group RAAF Maritime Patrol Group RAAF Strike Reconnaissance Group RAAF Surveillance and Control Group RAAF Surveillance and Response Group RAAF Tactical Fighter Group RAAF Tactical Transport Group RAAF

wings

No. 1 Wing RAAF
No. 21 Wing RAAF
No. 22 Wing RAAF
No. 24 Wing RAAF
No. 34 Wing RAAF
No. 41 Wing RAAF
No. 42 Wing RAAF
No. 44 Wing RAAF
No. 61 Wing RAAF
No. 62 Wing RAAF
No. 71 Wing RAAF
No. 72 Wing RAAF
No. 73 Wing RAAF
No. 75 Wing RAAF
No. 76 Wing RAAF
No. 77 Wing RAAF
No. 78 Wing RAAF
No. 79 Wing RAAF
No. 80 Wing RAAF
No. 81 Wing RAAF
No. 82 Wing RAAF
No. 83 Wing RAAF
No. 84 Wing RAAF
No. 85 Wing RAAF
No. 86 Wing RAAF
No. 90 Wing RAAF
No. 91 Wing RAAF
No. 92 Wing RAAF
No. 95 Wing RAAF
No. 96 Wing RAAF
No. 301 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 302 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 303 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 304 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 305 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 306 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 307 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 321 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 322 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 323 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 324 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 325 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 326 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 327 Air Base Wing RAAF
No. 395 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing RAAF
No. 396 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing RAAF
No. 501 Wing RAAF
No. 503 Wing RAAF

squadrons

flights

air ambulance units	No. 1 Air Ambulance Unit RAAF No. 2 Air Ambulance Unit RAAF
air-sea rescue flights	No. 111 Air-Sea Rescue Flight RAAF No. 112 Air-Sea Rescue Flight RAAF No. 113 Air-Sea Rescue Flight RAAF No. 114 Air-Sea Rescue Flight RAAF No. 115 Air-Sea Rescue Flight RAAF
air observation post flights	No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight RAAF No. 17 Air Observation Post Flight RAAF
communication units	No. 1 Communication Unit RAAF No. 2 Communication Unit RAAF No. 3 Communication Unit RAAF No. 4 Communication Unit RAAF No. 5 Communication Unit RAAF No. 6 Communication Unit RAAF No. 7 Communication Unit RAAF No. 8 Communication Unit RAAF No. 9 Communication Unit RAAF No. 10 Communication Unit RAAF No. 11 Communication Unit RAAF No. 12 Communication Unit RAAF No. 13 Communication Unit RAAF No. 30 Transport Unit RAAF
forward air control flights	No. 4 Forward Air Control Flight RAAF Forward Air Control Development Unit RAAF
transport flights	No. 9 Local Air Supply Unit RAAF No. 10 Local Air Supply Unit RAAF No. 12 Local Air Supply Unit RAAF No. 33 Flight RAAF No. 200 Flight RAAF Governor-General's Flight RAAF RAAF Transport Flight (Japan) RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam Transport Support Flight RAAF Transport Flight Butterworth RAAF
miscellaneous flights	No. 1 Long Range Flight RAAF No. 5 Flight RAAF No. 82 Wing Training Flight RAAF No. 101 Flight RAAF No. 201 Flight RAAF Antarctic Flight RAAF Lincoln Conversion Flight RAAF Seaplane Training Flight RAAF Survey Flight RAAF Target Towing and Special Duties Flight RAAF RAAF Washington Flying Unit