---
title: 'F-16 Viper Demo Wings Over Houston 2022'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=W2HsTbTY-uw'
video_id: 'W2HsTbTY-uw'
date: 2026-09-19
duration_sec: 3042
channel: 'Erik Johnston'
---

# F-16 Viper Demo Wings Over Houston 2022

> Source: [F-16 Viper Demo Wings Over Houston 2022](https://youtube.com/watch?v=W2HsTbTY-uw)

## Summary

This video captures a first-person cockpit view of a military jet demonstration flight, likely at an airshow. The pilot narrates the pre-flight checks, taxi, takeoff, and aerobatic maneuvers, including interactions with air traffic control and a wingman. The footage provides an immersive look at the procedures and communication involved in a high-performance aircraft display.

### Key Points

- **Avionics Warm-Up** [07:28] — The pilot notes that the avionics take about two minutes to fully warm up and become functional for the flight.
- **Flight Control Check** [09:42] — The pilot uses a piston to test the flight controls, ensuring all surfaces move correctly before takeoff.
- **Pre-Takeoff Checks** [10:43] — The pilot performs a flight control check with the crew, verifying movement in all directions and checking multiple modes, including the radar altimeter.
- **Altimeter Zeroing** [11:43] — The radar altimeter is set to zero to simplify altitude readings during low-level maneuvers, as the pilot only needs to reference whole numbers.
- **Low-Level Flight Profile** [25:02] — The pilot describes flying at 500 feet and 125 knots in a square pattern, performing engine and fuel checks during the first opportunity to open up the aircraft.
- **Throttle Hand Position** [32:59] — The pilot observes how much the throttle hand moves and stays in position with the left hand, noting the importance of precision during close formation flying.

### Conclusion

The video offers a raw, unedited look at a military jet demonstration, highlighting the meticulous pre-flight procedures, precise flying techniques, and constant communication required for a successful and safe display.

## Transcript

Thank you.
I'm not even going to worry about David.
No. Oh. No, he's good. No, he's good. Where's my hotel room? Here. Bobby's already threatening me if I go start too.
Bobby's already made him start! I'm not threatening him, I'm just saying like... Hold on, we'd be on a serious conference.
Okay, we're going to call a heart attack. Oh my gosh, this is not a good thing. I don't know what to say!
I'm going to go back to the room.
I'm going to go ahead and do my reception.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I'll take it.
Thank you.
I'm going to call you.
Joe? And when able, I will take a squawk for the Viper demo. Roger
We go up
Halt Engine give it out, off guard at us, we just did our life technique, we're all named after cops and lights, we're going to be working in for our flight Bomb tower squawk is 5-3-3-2 Engine check
Copy that, 222.
I have to make sure the knob will close fully, then I have to do a run of check with the knob will close. Checked out. Target, early Mustang, regular in the leg, turn to the east of the 8th and 7th, right turn down to Echo, right turn down to Echo, out of the business, bye bye.
Got to be on 100% O2 for this check.
Now I'm just firing up all the avionics. It will take the avionics about two minutes to fully warm up and be functional for what
I need to do.
Now you're cycling into flight control trying to get all the air out of the system before I do my flight control check through the actual aircraft. Good OD, you want a squawk?
I don't need one really, but do you want to grab one? Yeah, you're going to be behind the crowd so I want to make sure we... Well we're going to have the third flight control ring at 2 o'clock so you'll be okay.
I've been pulsing it for when I get steam it off.
Thank you.
Alright, that's it. I'm going to run it up, get the air flowing.
Now we're letting the piston test the flight control. Thank you.
Sir, taxi now to Charlie, intersect with takeoff. Charlie, sweet. You got about seven minutes to get airborne.
Doing a quick flight control check with my crew chief to verify all the flight controls are reading the radar speed. I'm trying to verify all the flight controls are reading the weather.
I have a few different modes I have to check on the flight controls. And a few different brake channels I'm checking now. So I can keep that front verified working properly.
I'm going to put my radar altimeter to make sure it's telling me the right altitude for when I'm close to the ground. Get my altimeter set to zero.
We set it to zero because even though we're at a different wind speed level altitude than We set it to zero because even though we're at a different WP level altitude than AEL altitude,
we can't do the pilot map fast enough for all of our resettlement that requires our altitude, so we just set it to zero so that we are only having to look at whole members during our resettlement.
I checked my g-g, it was happily hooked up and it's cleaning up the roof. And then take the over when I'm flying now.
We're all finished with the launch, just waiting for time to taxi, which will be in five minutes.
BF TV 2021 Bye Grigot
5-3-3-2-3-1 Thank you. Thank you, P2. Ma'am, when you're ready to taxi, you can taxi to Runway 35 in Foxtrot.
Taxi? I'm going to taxi now. Don't talk. Thank you. Roger that. Your dad's here at show center. Oh, I don't know about that. I'm just kidding. You love getting your big takes with you guys, so thanks for letting them up there.
Dad. Thank you.
T28 you ready? T28 ready sir. T28 runway 17 intersection departure straight south 3 miles in maneuver on your own you are cleared for takeoff.
3-0-1-7-9-0 I appreciate it. You got where you going? It's across town let's use it. Well okay have a good time. Alright, check into the corner coming up for you
Alright, you're stepped on. Two people talking, T20A go What is it? Alright, who else is gone?
Ah, Viper or Boss? Scout? They're still knocking down some of this fire. Is the smoke okay for you? Looks like it's good for me. Okay good.
Can you light that freezer and lift that fire up? I'm gonna line up and wait. Why wait? You're not here to share. Bye for now. Bye for line up and wait. I'm waiting for some time and police, uh,
the fire department but uh put you on the runway and we'll wait until the jump all right might have been waiting behind the mustang and whenever everyone's in police i'll be good to go
there you go Hey, he's hot, I'll come here in a few, alright?
The engineer is your right. Good.
Okay guys, we're going to start the verification and have a good flight. Copy, thanks. Paratroopers, please disagree. Alright, Paratroopers and Viper, O-ray. Over and out.
Paratroopers? Viper! I have a single one. What'd you say, Steven? I said I'm all in. I'll just stay in here.
You guys ready down there? Ready. Alright, standby hatch in ten seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, HOT!
Good HOT! Good morning, Groovy! So now I forgot to count to five!
Alright, our team on BNC, we're taking off. Last little stretch. Right face, right over my head.
I'm going to be happy that it knows that. 2 From the air boss, helicopter 2 miles north of the field, traveling north, 500 lower Copy that
Here we go Line it up 2 We're all right
I'm dead again.
I'm dead again.
Out of tune. Out of tune. I'm out of tune. Enter the house, Ethan.
Really? Out of tune.
Out of tune. Altitude. Altitude.
Pull up, pull up. Thank you.
I'll get you. I'll get you. Pull up. Pull up. I'll get you. I'll get you.
Get up. Get up. Anybody got directly across from the bus?
Uh, we are about 200 meters past the bus from your position. 200 meters past the bus, I hear nothing.
Two, three. Thank you.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Alpha 2. Alpha 2. Alpha. Alpha.
Alpha 2. Alpha 2. I've got 5.6 million.
Good numbers. 4.6 million. Pull up, pull up.
Out the tube, out the tube.
Oh man, I did not want to. That was the second. Okay. I got 5.720.
Good number. Send it. Hi, Bruce. Yes.
Pull up. Pull up. Alpha 2. Alpha 2.
altitude altitude target
How could he? How could he?
altitude altitude
slow speed 2 alright pretty much percentage in slow speed this kind of time welcome to warning warning for slow speed
speed The goal is to get down to 500 feet about 125 knots I like to fly in a square pattern here down to 500 foot line That what I like to do a good engine check fuel check
First time I kind of get a chance to open up. Warning, warning, warning, warning. Warning light for a number in the housing. Enable or remove the cloud chaser. I have no idea.
Yes. Warning, warning. Warning, warning. It looks really high. I know that's right. It's right.
Warning, warning. Altitude. Altitude. Warning, warning. Warning. Okay. Warning, warning. Good luck.
Thank you.
I'm pretty much right back in the beginning.
Oh, it's like kind of like 4,600.
On top, 5.7, 150. Clear, number is limited. Warning, dive edge. Yes, sir.
Pull up, pull up. altitude altitude I'm so scared.
Thanks, Tyler. Nope. Christine, I'm coming up for a 7-0.
Alpha 2. Alpha 2.
Thank you.
I got him.
2 Alright, I'm swinging behind the crowd now for the dedication. Cover that. Dedication to Winkler. 2
3 4 I'm going to try to turn in front of you here just to make this a little quicker. 4 5
6 7 altitude altitude
I'm visual you I'm visual right here I'm visual right here I got you in sight I'll be going in front of the ground pretty sharp right there
cool altitude altitude altitude Help us, please.
I'm just gonna wait for you over here. Alright.
Thank you, onboard. You're welcome.
Pretty good, guys. There it is again.
Hey! I'm getting close to my birthday. Hardly a time in the past.
Thank you.
Out of here. Out of here. Out of here. Out of here.
Maybe something to just take notice here is more intentional to me now, but just watching
how much my throttle hand is moving and staying in position with the left hand. but it is always like we're flying close.
Thank you.
altitude, altitude
altitude, altitude out of here out of here
Thank you.
Thank you.
Dirt.
Altitude, altitude.
Pull up, pull up. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. Air 26? Roger. Other air.
Fuel to stay on the left side. We'll do the switch, right? That'll make you first as we move south and forward. Roger. I didn't think it was going to be this bumpy side.
Yeah, it's a lot of bumpy today. You also hit it pretty hard when we were coming around over the cross-off. Yeah, exactly. I just like Ready to roll out for us Ready to fix the regular air box
Ready to roll out for us? Ready to pitch right to the glider boss.
Boss, I went back up there for two days. By then, two zoomies, you are good to go, ma'am. Perfect. Alright, we're playing. Let's do it. And firing you up.
Firing you up. Sweet. Sweet. Alpha 2. Alpha 2.
Perfect. Okay. I'll get you.
She's clear on the north end, Jenna, and are you going to do two things? She'll need to go home, or are you going to recover here? Two things I know. All right. Is that going to be a nice day with the pyro?
I'm going to go ahead and get back to the hotel.
And then she's off to the corner headed for the hot mess. Ta-da! Yeah, right. I hate wires.
That's the way. That's the way. And backwards into the hot mess. Copy. I'll take you.
I'll take you. That was cold. That was quiet. I can't find that sound. Hi Roy. You shot everything you got? Hi Roy.
It's cold. How's it there? Good. I got you inside. I'm going to put my gear down behind you for the gentleman. OK. Thanks. Hey, Ralph. Welcome to the, uh, channel with the car. I'm going to put my gear on the car. OK. Thanks.
You're welcome. Thanks. You're welcome. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Now into Parking Area City, OS.
From your first position you clear two miles south then go straight home. Alright, you don't want me to do one more zoom? Oh no, I'll take a zoomie. Okay.
Now go home, Chad. I'm really tired from the airlines. Yeah, right. You quit those guys 40 years ago. Yeah.
I would like you off at Bravo.
Skip Charlie, Bravo, and back into your... Oh. Yeah, back down in front of the crowd. Okay, I'm landing on 35. Yeah, go all the way down to Bravo, 120, return to the left, then back down to the other end.
I hear about V-28. V-28, clear to land. I'll charge you into which you should. Roger that. Tuna, let's do, I'll tell you what, Tuna, go straight out, giving a left turn to the 8,000 foot line, and then have you close.
Go, Vince. Thanks, Tuna. See you later, buddy. Thanks, Ralph. Nice job. Good to see you, Tana. Good to see you, too. Okay, if I were a demo, I got you in sight.
You're cleared to land. The wind is going to be off your left wing. It's to the east. You can see the smoke. It's about seven. Thanks, man. Stay the way.
and uh
jive kirby's down at the end And then taxi back to the sun shades. Okay, group. Thank you, ma'am. Ah, Jive, as soon as she passes you line up and wait.
Tell me when you get there. Okay, will do. Yeah, I can turn around and make a bravo in a few years. Ah, just keep going.
We're good Rebel.
Okay, fine. Okay, June, I lost you. You're cleared to clover. Frequency change approved. Adios.
I do that jive, the winds are out of the west at about 7, you are cleared to go, runaway
17, go straight out, 2 miles, then a... Skyraider, out of the pitch to, let's go to Bravo for the Skyraider.
Perfect. Hello, 301 Echo, can I cross the hotel? Alright, stand by.
Team Extreme, the runway is yours, cleared to launch, cleared to enter your routine. Good, I'll enter the routine as you guys are in contact with the flight, thank you. Who else called the air box? Hello, 301 Echo, can I cross the hotel?
Go back to the, uh, top third. Yeah. And Rebel, look to your, uh, 11 o'clock. There's somebody you know.
I'm stopping. Who's this guy out here? The running old man. Bring him out here. I'll run him over. Nice job, Rebel.
Good job, great job. Bye. And I'm just going to go over the street.
And again. I'm just going to go over the street quickly. I'm going to go to the street. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.