Antarctic Flight RAAF

{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name=Antarctic Flight RAAF

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|dates=1948–1963

|country=Australia

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|branch=22px Royal Australian Air Force

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|role=Expeditions and Rescue

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|garrison=RAAF Base Laverton

|garrison_label=Current base

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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.{{cite web|publisher=RAAF Museum|access-date=24 March 2010|title=Antarctic Flight|url=http://www.raaf.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/units/antarctic.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613173237/http://www.raaf.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/units/antarctic.htm|archive-date=13 June 2010}}

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 After 1963, the RAAF planes were withdrawn.{{sfn|Wilson|1991|pp=32–110}}

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{{sfn|Wilson|1991|pp=110–114}} and more recently C-17 Globemasters to Wilkins Aerodrome near Casey Station in late 2015 and early 2016.{{cite news|title=RAAF operates C-17 proof of concept flights to Antarctica|url=http://australianaviation.com.au/2015/11/raaf-operates-c-17-proof-of-concept-flights-to-antarctica/|work=Australian Aviation|date=22 November 2015|access-date=14 January 2016}}{{cite press release|url=http://news.defence.gov.au/2016/02/20/antarctic-flights-prove-a-huge-success/|title=Antarctic flights prove a huge success|publisher=Department of Defence|date=20 February 2016|access-date=20 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305034725/http://news.defence.gov.au/2016/02/20/antarctic-flights-prove-a-huge-success/|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=dead}}