Narrative:

Aircraft involved was an experimental acrobatic airplane that the owner built over a period of 7 yrs. During which time builder has been continuously employed as a professional pilot. Builder pilot is extremely proud of his normal judgement abilities but under this circumstance of an airplane that instills great confidence, family watching, the airport where builder/pilot learned to fly 12 1/2 yrs ago, he had a monumental laps of judgement and proceeded to do an aileron roll after takeoff. Although it was over open farmland the maneuver was started and completed below 1500' AGL. The builder/pilot had been getting some aerobatic instruction but had not reviewed the regulations recently, pertaining to aerobatic flight, believing at the time that as long as he was over open farmland and away from people or vehs by 500' that it was okay. Only after scaring himself sufficiently to promise himself to never ever attempt such a stupid thing again, and then reviewing the FARS did he learn he had inadvertently busted a regulation by doing the roll within 1500' AGL. I believe that because I had never done aerobatics before over the course of my career I had always skipped over that particular regulation when reviewing them, that not being an excuse for not just using common sense. Maybe in the future when certifying an experimental aircraft that is aerobatic rated a review of the pertinent regulations could be suggested by the inspector?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HOME BUILT EXPERIMENTAL AEROBATIC ACFT DID AN AILERON ROLL SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT, SHOWING OFF FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

Narrative: ACFT INVOLVED WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL ACROBATIC AIRPLANE THAT THE OWNER BUILT OVER A PERIOD OF 7 YRS. DURING WHICH TIME BUILDER HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY EMPLOYED AS A PROFESSIONAL PLT. BUILDER PLT IS EXTREMELY PROUD OF HIS NORMAL JUDGEMENT ABILITIES BUT UNDER THIS CIRCUMSTANCE OF AN AIRPLANE THAT INSTILLS GREAT CONFIDENCE, FAMILY WATCHING, THE ARPT WHERE BUILDER/PLT LEARNED TO FLY 12 1/2 YRS AGO, HE HAD A MONUMENTAL LAPS OF JUDGEMENT AND PROCEEDED TO DO AN AILERON ROLL AFTER TKOF. ALTHOUGH IT WAS OVER OPEN FARMLAND THE MANEUVER WAS STARTED AND COMPLETED BELOW 1500' AGL. THE BUILDER/PLT HAD BEEN GETTING SOME AEROBATIC INSTRUCTION BUT HAD NOT REVIEWED THE REGS RECENTLY, PERTAINING TO AEROBATIC FLT, BELIEVING AT THE TIME THAT AS LONG AS HE WAS OVER OPEN FARMLAND AND AWAY FROM PEOPLE OR VEHS BY 500' THAT IT WAS OKAY. ONLY AFTER SCARING HIMSELF SUFFICIENTLY TO PROMISE HIMSELF TO NEVER EVER ATTEMPT SUCH A STUPID THING AGAIN, AND THEN REVIEWING THE FARS DID HE LEARN HE HAD INADVERTENTLY BUSTED A REG BY DOING THE ROLL WITHIN 1500' AGL. I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE I HAD NEVER DONE AEROBATICS BEFORE OVER THE COURSE OF MY CAREER I HAD ALWAYS SKIPPED OVER THAT PARTICULAR REG WHEN REVIEWING THEM, THAT NOT BEING AN EXCUSE FOR NOT JUST USING COMMON SENSE. MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WHEN CERTIFYING AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT THAT IS AEROBATIC RATED A REVIEW OF THE PERTINENT REGS COULD BE SUGGESTED BY THE INSPECTOR?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.