The hangar interior of the " US Air Base in South Korea " , shown crowded with Chinook helicopters , was filmed at RAF Odiham in Hampshire , UK , as were the helicopter interior shots during the Switchblade sequence . These latter scenes , though portrayed in the air , were actually filmed entirely on the ground with the sky background being added in post @-@ production using blue screen techniques . Although the base is portrayed in the film as a US base , all the aircraft and personnel in the scene are British in real life . In the film , Switchblades ( one @-@ person gliders resembling fighter jets in shape ) are flown by Bond and Jinx to stealthily enter North Korea . The Switchblade was based on a workable model called " PHASST " ( Programmable High Altitude Single Soldier Transport ) . Kinetic Aerospace Inc . ' s lead designer , Jack McCornack was impressed by director Lee Tamahori 's way of conducting the Switchblade scene and commented , " It 's brief , but realistic . The good guys get in unobserved , thanks to a fast cruise , good glide performance , and minimal radar signature . It 's a wonderful promotion for the PHASST . "