An isolated Antarctic research station can now receive vital supplies all year round thanks to the Royal Australian Air Force lending its wings to science.
Before this week Davis station, which lies 4,700km southwest of Perth, could only been reached from Australia by ship between October and April, a journey that took 12-14 days.
But now air force planes are able to fly from Victoria whenever supplies are needed.
A C-17A Globemaster III dropped supplies at the station on Tuesday, the first time replenishments have come by air rather than sea.
The 700kg airdrop included fresh food, medical supplies and mail for the 17 expeditioners who have spent six months at the Antarctic base.
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Australian Antarctic Division future concepts manager Matt Filipowski says the success of the 10,000 km, 15-hour round-trip, which requires a mid-air refuel, is a game changer.
"We can be reactive to emergencies and supply critical spare parts," he told AAP on Wednesday.
"Before, if something became broken it would be difficult to manage."
Previously, expeditioners would wait months for spare parts to arrive, and survived off frozen food supplies until ice levels were safe for ships to reach the station.
Davis station leader Kirsten le Mar says her team are now enjoying fresh carrots, lemons and potatoes, and are reading letters from home.
The expeditioners prepared a 1.5km by 1km drop zone on the sea ice, which had to be at least 60cm thick to carry the weight of the 15 pallets dropped from the plane.
Mr Filipowski said flights would occur on an as needed basis and would help broaden the horizons for scientific research.
"We'll work now to see how we can best utilise this to support science and our operations in Antarctica," he said.
