Ubiquity of the "victory roll"?

[IceFire]

I wondered if it was maybe a bit Hollywood. I know a few pilots are on record as having done it but I wondered just how much.

[Fergal69]

I remember watching a history type channel that a Japanese fighter ace in a Zero performed an aerobatic display over an American airforce base that they had attacked.

[Woke Up Dead]

Polish pilots from the 303rd did it during the Battle of Britain.

[wheelsup_cavu]

Originally Posted by Fergal69

I remember watching a history type channel that a Japanese fighter ace in a Zero performed an aerobatic display over an American airforce base that they had attacked.

Saburo Sakai is the one who performed the aerobatic display with his wingman over Port Moresby.


Wheels

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by wheelsup_cavu

Saburo Sakai is the one who performed the aerobatic display with his wingman over Port Moresby.


Wheels

Interesting! Now I know Japanese fighter outfits tended to count kills as a group and rarely displayed personal kill markings. How was a victory roll or victory aerobatic display viewed in Japanese fighter pilot culture?

[pupo162]

i remember reading a interview wit ha russian pilot who said that in his squad it was common to do a little show off for the ground when returning from a sucessfull mission, a barrel roll, a low alt pass over the field something like that.

he also said that it was prohibited after one pilot tried something in the likes of a loop and crashed.

[stugumby]

Don Gentile pranged his mustang on his last flight, tore shangrila all up.

[DKoor]

It is more suited to do it after you finished your last mission in the war.
Bringing home the ultimate war victor spoil: your life .

[K_Freddie]

from Osprey Aviation on the FW190A3 that landed in England

Faber made for the nearest airfield that he could see, but could not resist performing a victory roll and cockily extending his undercarriage while inverted, before touching down... at RAF Pembrey!!.
His intact FW190A3 was one of the major intelligence prizes of the entire war. Little wonder his tongue-in-cheek offer to take it back up and demonstrate to the RAF what it really could do - if they would just refuel it for him, please - was turned down flat!!