dawn patrol

American  

noun

1. a flight, especially during the early days of military aviation, undertaken at dawn or early morning in order to reconnoiter enemy positions.

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Etymology

Origin of dawn patrol

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

That’s welcome news for all those dawn patrol enthusiasts who want to skate ski in the morning twilight before work.

From Seattle Times

That apprehension, and the realization that NBC would keep her on dawn patrol indefinitely, made her receptive to ABC’s courtship in 1976.

From Washington Post

Mr. Fleischman had a cab arrive at the door to take Robin Williams, Christopher Reeve and other members of the “dawn patrol” to after-hours clubs for more partying.

From Washington Post

I also took part in a “dawn patrol”, which is a fancy way of saying I walked the beach really early in the morning to look for evidence of nesting turtles in an effort to ensure the safety of the nests and maximum return of turtles to the sea.

From The Guardian

On Thursday Newquay police said officers had been out on dawn patrol, waking up people who had stayed overnight in vehicles.

From BBC