Definition
The compass heading the pilot intends to be established on at the moment a turn is completed and the wings return to level flight.
Plain English
The direction you want the airplane to be pointing after you finish your turn.
Context Anchor
Used during turn practice, maneuver demonstrations, traffic pattern work, navigation, and any instruction where the pilot is expected to finish a turn on a specific heading.
Derivation
"Roll-out" describes the airplane rolling its wings back to level after a turn. The "heading" is simply the direction the nose is pointing. Together: the heading you arrive at when you roll level.
Why Pilots Care
Maintaining the correct rollout heading prevents drift off the runway and reduces the chance of a runway excursion during deceleration.
Intuition Check
Do not read “roll-out heading” as the heading where you begin leveling the wings. It is the heading you want after the rollout is complete, so you may need to start the rollout slightly before reaching it.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor told the student to begin rolling out early so the airplane would settle on a roll-out heading of 270.
Example Sentence 2
The instructor reminded the pilot to cross-check the rollout heading against the runway numbers before applying brakes.