A low-born infantryman becomes a pilot during World War I, almost deliberately stepping on the sensibilities of his aristocratic comrades in the process. A national hero, he wins the Blue Max, the highest award that can be bestowed upon an aviator. His fame is exploited by a general, who tolerates the affair between the pilot and the general's wife. The canny general knows that, eventually, the pilot will become expendable, and a "heroic" death can be arranged.