Australia, China and the US have collaborated on a mission to medically evacuate an Australian expeditioner from Antarctica. The operation took five days, used ships, helicopters and planes, and canvassed thousands of kilometres of the icy continent. Australian Antarctic Division Director Kim Ellis described it as one of the most complex and challenging medical evacuations his team has undertaken in recent years. The unwell Australian was at Davis research station in east Antarctica when the operation began. By chance, a Chinese icebreaker was travelling to a nearby Chinese research station. Its helicopters were sent to Casey to transport a number of Australians from Davis to a site 40km inland to build a ski-way so a US aircraft could land. In the meantime, a US ski-equipped Basler aircraft was being prepared. It flew 2,200km from McMurdo research station to Australia’s Wilkins Aerodrome, near Casey station, to pick up an Australian doctor. …