Definition
The act of returning the airplane from a bank back to wings-level flight by applying aileron input opposite to the direction of bank, typically used to stop a turn on a desired heading.
Plain English
Bringing the wings back to level after a turn so the airplane stops turning and flies straight again.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying when using attitude, heading, and trend indications to judge when to start ending a turn.
Derivation
From the verb 'roll,' which in aviation means rotating the airplane around its long axis (the same axis that runs nose to tail). 'Rolling out' is the act of rolling back out of a banked attitude into level flight, much like a ball rolling out of a tilted position back to flat.
Why Pilots Care
Enables the pilot to anticipate heading changes and complete the transition to straight flight smoothly without overshooting.
Grounding Statement
Picture the airplane in a turn: rolling out is the moment the pilot brings the wings back toward level so the nose stops swinging around the compass.
Intuition Check
Rolling out does not mean the airplane is moving along the runway after landing in this context. Here, it means taking bank out of the wings to end a turn.
Example Sentence 1
Anticipating the heading bug, the pilot began rolling out of the turn about ten degrees before reaching 270.
Example Sentence 2
Rolling out early kept the aircraft on the desired course during the instrument approach.