Definition
The judgment of when to begin reducing bank angle so that the airplane arrives wings-level precisely as it crosses the reference line during an S-turn or similar ground reference maneuver. Rollout timing must account for the rate of turn, the current bank angle, groundspeed, and any wind effect that is pushing the airplane toward or away from the reference line.
Plain English
Knowing the right moment to start leveling the wings so the airplane is straight and level exactly when it crosses the line on the ground.
Context Anchor
Used during S-turns and other ground reference maneuvers, especially when judging when to stop turning near a road or other selected line on the ground.
Derivation
"Rollout" comes from the airplane rolling out of a bank back to wings-level. "Timing" is simply when the action begins. Together it names the skill of choosing the right moment to start that roll-out.
Why Pilots Care
Correct rollout timing produces symmetric turns that meet practical test standards; incorrect timing creates asymmetric tracks, excessive bank corrections, or failure to cross the line perpendicularly.
Intuition Check
Do not read rollout timing as the landing roll after touchdown, or as a number of seconds on a clock. Here it means judging the moment to begin coming out of a turn.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor pointed out that her rollout timing was late, which caused the airplane to cross the road still banked to the left.
Example Sentence 2
Adjusting rollout timing on the second half of the S-turn kept both loops equal in size and radius.