Aileron roll The aileron roll is an aerobatic maneuver in which the aircraft does a full 360° revolution about its longitudinal axis . When executed properly , there is no appreciable change in altitude and the aircraft exits the maneuver on the same heading as it entered . This is commonly one of the first maneuvers taught in basic aerobatics courses . This maneuver is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a barrel roll . Execution . The aileron roll is commonly executed through the application of full aileron in one direction . In some lower powered general aviation and aerobatic training aircraft , prior to applying aileron input , the pilot must begin the maneuver by trading altitude for airspeed ( i . e . diving ) . This helps achieve enough airspeed to complete the roll without losing rudder and aileron control . The minimum airspeed needed depends on the aircraft ' s design , but is generally about 120 to 200 knots . Because full aileron is applied , structural limitations prevent many aircraft from performing the maneuver at very high speeds . Starting from level flight , the pilot pitches the aircraft up about 10 to 30 degrees above the horizon , into a brief climb . The purpose of pitch - up is twofold . This causes an increase in altitude which minimizes altitude loss and airspeed gain . As the aircraft begins to roll , it starts to lose lift . When the wings are vertical , the only lift generated is a small amount from the fuselage , and the aircraft will begin to lose altitude . The brief climb compensates for the loss , allowing the aircraft to complete the roll at the same altitude the maneuver began . When the aircraft is completely inverted , the increased pitch results in greater angle of attack , enabling the inverted wing to generate lift . After the initial pitch - up , the pilot places the elevators in the neutral position . Failure to do this will cause the aircraft to continue pitching up during the upright part of the maneuver , and downward in the inverted part , resulting in something resembling a barrel roll . The pilot then applies full aileron , accomplished by moving the stick to either the right or left . As the aircraft rolls about its longitudinal axis , the nose will begin to drop . Upon completing the roll , the nose will usually be 10 to 30 degrees below the horizon , so the pilot will need to pitch - up to return to level flight . An aileron roll is an unbalanced maneuver . As the roll begins , the aircraft will have a tendency to yaw away from the angle of bank , referred to as " adverse yaw . " The pilot will usually need to apply the rudder in the direction of the bank to keep the aircraft balanced . An aircraft performing an aileron roll will actually fly along a slightly helical path , and a very light , positive g force will be maintained . An aileron roll is similar to the slow roll , and the two maneuvers are often confused with each other . However , unlike a slow roll , an aileron roll is performed at the maximum roll rate , and is uncontrolled in the pitch axis . It consists of a constant attitude change during the maneuver ; from the initial pitch - up to the plane following a slight corkscrew path as the nose drops , followed by the final pitch - up . If the pilot picks a reference point on the horizon , directly ahead of the plane , the nose will actually appear to trace a shape similar to the letter " D " above this reference point . Uses . The aileron roll is commonly used in air shows and aerial combat training . The use of the pure aileron roll in air combat is contentious , but many common maneuvers bear heavy dependence on the aileron roll . Examples of this are the Immelmann turn , barrel roll , and Split S . An aileron roll carried out by a pilot as a sign of victory or celebration is known as a victory roll . Test pilots commonly employ the aileron roll to evaluate an aircraft ' s turning characteristics ( e . g . time to turn ) .