Was it efficient and reasonable though? What did he thought would happen? One shot from Aurora starting new revolution? invitation to politburo? Don't forget that it is the time where US propaganda made a year long spectacle of every pilot defector and arrested spy, so government fear he might be really a traitor wasn't unfounded.

but I admire his courage and firm staying with noble ideals

True, but it need to be put into context. Fanny Kaplan for example had both too.