Wednesday, May 21, 2008 6:41 PM

Military flights are scheduled over the D.C. area early this morning as part of a training exercise aimed at protecting the capital from airborne threats, according to officials with NORAD.

The exercise, dubbed "Falcon Virgo," takes place periodically and involves flights coordinated with NORAD, the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies. In the latest exercise, volunteers from the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the Air Force, are to fly small planes posing as intruders so authorities could practice their response, officials said.

The exercise is expected to begin after midnight and last several hours, and is to involve Air Force F-16 jets and U.S. Coast Guard aircraft, officials said.

-- Mary Beth Sheridan