Ubiquity of the "victory roll"?

[NZtyphoon]

Officially the 'Victory roll' was frowned upon in the RAF because of the very real possibility of a loss of control. A victory or aileron roll carried out at high speed and low level, is inherently dangerous because the wings lose lift until, by the time they are vertical, the only thing keeping the aircraft flying is a small amount of lift from the fuselage and momentum. In the meantime the aircraft is losing height while the nose is well below the horizontal plane meaning the pilot has to pull the stick back at the same time as he is completing the roll. It can look great but in the hands of a hyped-up, possibly tired, possibly inexperienced pilot it could also lead to a hole in the ground.

Secondly there was the possibility of combat damage to the aircraft, such as damage to the control lines, which could lead to a crash.

So, while there was also a feeling that victory rolls were too showy, there were practical reasons for the RAF and other air forces dissuading their pilots from carrying them out.

[Pursuivant]

There's also the fact that fooling around with celebratory acrobatics wastes fuel and time, both of which were often in short supply.

If the mission required confirmation of contact with the enemy or destruction of the target, I believe that the approved methods were to waggle the wings, send a coded message or drop a flare or message drogue.

Of course, I think that pilots of just about every air force occasionally indulged in some sort of "victory dance," either as catharsis or as actual celebration. After all, the pilots were little more than teenagers, they were flying the fastest, sexiest machines on the planet, and boys will be boys.