Mitchell reached Paris on 10 April 1917 to establish an office for the American aviation section and study British and French practice. On 24 April he flew over German lines with a French pilot. That gave him direct operational experience while exposing an officer central to the organization's formation. Had he been killed, the emerging American air section in Europe would have lost the leader responsible for building it. Personal courage therefore created an institutional risk that celebratory accounts can overlook.
Notable Point · 57:35-1:00:39
Mitchell's front-line flying risked a developing air organization
Mitchell's flight over German lines illustrates the risk of losing a senior organizer for the sake of personal operational experience.