AS A NEWLY MINTED U.S. Army aviator and UH-60 Black Hawk pilot, being based in the Republic of Korea in 1988 was an ideal first assignment. The cost of living was low, the people were friendly, and the food was great. And then there was the flying. There were few rules in Korea, and as young lieutenants and warrant officers we took advantage and "aired out" our UH-60s often. The rules were simple. Don't fly into the prohibited area of the capital, Seoul, aptly named P-73. Don't fly into the Korean president's TFR. As with the U.S., these were likely to pop up unannounced, or sometimes even move. And don't ever, ever, stray north of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), into the People's Republic of Korea, also known as North Korea. The North Korean military was known to try and lure aircraft across the DMZ through MIJI, or meaconing, intrusion, jamming, and interference. They'd set up false NDBs to mimic stations in South Korea. In the winter, when fresh snow covered panels indicating the DMZ, they would set up false panels in North Korea, or use other means to lure crews across the border, then shoot them down. Part of our Korea check out was to testing on our ability to navigate the DMZ.
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