Two H-145 helicopters delivered to the South Pole. These vehicles will be used during the summer season to transport the scientists of the Australian Antarctic Program stationed at the Bunger Hills base. A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-17A Globemaster aircraft transported the two aircraft to Antarctica.

"It is the first time that this type of helicopter has been loaded onto a C-17. To obtain authorization to load the two aircraft, we first had to take them to the Amberley military base in Queensland and subject them to a load test with the Royal Australian Air Force. The aircraft had their blades removed, before being tied down so as not to cause damage to their delicate airframes", explained David Lomas, chief pilot of the Australian Antarctic Division.

These are very important means of transport for the Australian science programme. In fact, today scientists travel between the Bunger Hills and Casey bases on a bus and then continue by snow plane to base camp, a 70 kilometer journey that is not without dangers. With the new helicopters, however, the 27 scientists will be able to move more safely.