"Moon".

This is coolbert:

That British 617 Squadron ["Dam Busters"] from World War Two [WW2] fame being the archetype upon which all subsequent aviation special operations units are based?

In the aftermath of the missions on the various German dams of the Ruhr, the 617 Squadron designated as that unit to drop specifically so the Tall Boy and Grand Slam series of bombs. One plane, one bomb, one target, mission accomplished, target destroyed, that bomb dropped from great altitude with extreme precision, the results causing the German "big hurt" in a manner that often a massed attack or even repeated massed attacks by hundreds or even thousands of attacking war planes could not!!

617 after V-E day to have seen action dropping Tall Boy and Grand Slam against Japanese panacea [high-value] targets, presumably in furtherance of Operation Starvation!

Another British contribution of war time [WW2] aviation special operations was the famous "Moon" plane. The Westland Lysander, noted for an ability at short-take-off-and-landing [STOL] on unimproved airfields, EVEN take-offs and landings from cow pastures and the like. Called the "Moon" plane: "moonlight was essential for navigation".

Insertion and extraction of personnel into denied territory with supplies and equipment [crates of homing passenger pigeons for instance],  ferrying secret agents to and from missions, delivering on target THOSE PERSONNEL NOT ABLE TO MASTER OR LEARN PARACHUTING OR CONSIDERED TO BE SO VALUABLE NO CHANCE TAKEN ENDANGERING THEIR VERY PERSON!!

"The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War . . . the aircraft's exceptional short-field performance enabled clandestine missions using small, unprepared airstrips behind enemy lines to place or recover agents, particularly in occupied France."

"In August 1941 a new squadron, No. 138 (Special Duties), was formed to undertake missions for the Special Operations Executive [SOE] to maintain clandestine contact with the French Resistance . . . the Lysander could insert and remove agents from the continent or retrieve Allied aircrew who had been shot down over occupied territory and had evaded capture . . . In order to slip in unobtrusively the Lysanders were painted matte black; operations almost always took place within a week of a full moon, as moonlight was essential for navigation."

Flying one of those "Moon" planes on a mission is the type of duty that many during war time desire to, but very few ever get to do? A pilot with considerable nerve and ability is needed, such individuals being in short supply, the conventional air force hesitant to release a skilled pilot for special duties of an unspecified nature.  The Lysander has been long gone and has been replaced by the stealth helicopter for special missions, those latter war planes [helicopters] piloted by individuals no less courageous and daring!

coolbert.