My father in law took an aerobatics course and can correctly do rolls. He doesn't know his exact hours anymore but is over 25,000 TT and just keeps a log of the planes, if the plane flies he is flying it as PIC. He is 55 and has flown since he was 15. He has 18 years of flying for the same family and if they fly, he is flying the plane. He is an extremely proficient pilot and knows his stuff. He did all his aerobatic training in an Extra 300 with a proficient instructor.
He recently finished his taildragger RV-7 and he did the rolls and such in it so it would be rated for the aerobatics. He was out flying with one of the plane partners one day. He did a couple rolls and was showing the partner all the things the plane can do. He NEVER thought that the partner with under 1000 TT would try the same manuevers on his own.
The next time he got into the plane he found that it had done 4G's because the GPS records it. When he talked to the partner he said he had tried to do a roll like my father in law and wasn't able to do it. He ended up doing a split S. My father in law had shown him how to do the rolls and even let him try one or two while he was in the plane. The partner was stupid enough to try it without enough experience and almost lost complete control of the plane. The partner even says now that he never wants to be in that position again, he was afraid he might not make it out.
My father in law thought that his partner was old enough (in his 50's) and smart enough to not do it without more practice and really knowing how to do it. The next time my husband flew with his dad he asked him to do some rolls and my father in law refused. He is afraid that my husband and others will now try it.
Rolls are not things to mess around with! If you don't know what you are doing, you have a high chance of not walking away from the plane crash that can easily follow. If you are going to do rolls, be taught how to PROPERLY do the rolls and practice many hours with a certified aerobatics instructor and get the endorsement. It isn't worth playing with your passengers and your life for a few minutes of fun.
If you know what you are doing, the rolls can be fun and amazing. My husband has some film of when he and his dad were flying and doing aleron rolls before this happened. We have professional equipment and the footage was amazing. I will look for the footage and post it up here once I find it.
Edit: Wanted to add, the airplane is rated for rolls and aerobatics and they follow the FARs for banking over 60 and rolling. as well as making sure they are in a completely unpopulated area to try the manuevers. Please, I really don't want an unexperienced pilot doing rolls over my house...
