「Pattern Overview: ABTR」

Following the disastrous failure of Verlaufen Blau and the loss of 79% of 'elite' Volksflieger pilots, there became an immediate need for replacement pilots in order to prevent the collapse of the Nation's air campaign.

Following several years of inquest and surveyance of the Nation populace, eventually it was determined that retired Volksflieger ace 'Kurt Xuying-Lanfeng' fit necessary requirements well.

Born to Heimaten aristocrats that fell in with the Revolution, K. Xuying-Lanfeng was a troubled and unreliable member of the first-generation Nationalnobilitie, often ending up in fights and interacting with those his family deemed 'of poor breeding.'

Having briefly served within the Imperial Garrison on Vineta as mechanized cavalry shortly prior to the Revolution, he was reportedly 'extremely taken' by the revival of air warfare, and ordered his immediate transfer to the nascent Volksflieger, which was accepted.

Due to the limited scale of aerial warfare in the early post-Revolution, the members of the Volksflieger and Luftskommando of the Nation and Empire came to view each other as bitter-if-respected rivals, while the nebulosity of the fronts often led to pilots being rescued following downs. Reports that Nation pilots, K. Xuying-Lanfeng included, willingly allowed Luftskommando assets to escape are unconfirmed.

An incident involving the sabotage of a Volksflieger airfield prior to an Imperial assault, which led to the destruction of various aircraft through strategic use of arson, has led to a notable tic within K. Xuying-Lanfeng. He is reported to have spotted the fire prior to its escalation, however believed that it was suitably dealt with and did not investigate further. This directly led to the sabotage's success, and resulted in Volksflieger pilots having to flee the airfield to avoid capture.

While no punishment was issued, Albatross units maintain a notable uncertainty involving fires and a light form of pyrophobia, desiring to check on vehicles even in the case of total illogic. Pattern Manipulation has been unable to remove this.

The interactions with Luftskommando assets have established a firm idea of an 'other' in Albatrosses, which has metastasized in to the establishment of an 'in-group' of ABTRs with a similar class of vehicle, and an 'out-group' of ABTRs with a different class. This is deemed acceptable as it is generally low-severity and does not impact unit efficacy.

While Albatross units are best-utilized in aerial positions, notable success has been achieved in integrating skillsets involving self-propelled gunnery and long-distance driving with minimal negative effects, however it remains a notable preference.