Houses 'shaking' as US military aircraft swoops over north Manchester

Houses were 'shaking' across parts of Bury and north Manchester on Monday night (October 21) after US military aircraft swooped over the region.

The booming sound of the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey could be heard across parts of the region, including in Prestwich, Middleton and Whitefield at around 9pm and then again at 10pm.

According to the US Air Force website, the tiltrotor aircraft is used to conduct long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions for special operations forces. Flight paths show how the aircraft later landed at Manchester’s Barton Aerodrome in Barton upon Irwell, Salford.

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A post shared in a social media aviation group asked: "Anyone know why these are out? They have just come over our house at about 800ft and shook the house."

Another person wrote: "Just seen them fly over my house in Middleton, great sight. Very loud ha" as a third added: "They were flying about for quite a while."

In a Middleton Facebook group, one user explained: "American air force V22 Osprey aircraft have just flown over Middleton and Heywood if anyone is wondering what the racket was."

On X, another user wrote: "Sounds like there are night missions over Whitefield. Sleep easy."

It is thought the Air Force planes use Barton Aerodrome for landings and refuellings and that flights are carried out for unfamiliar airport landing practice, and that they were heading to RAF Mildenhall, which primarily supports United States Air Force operations.

Situated on the edge of Chat Moss, Barton Aerodrome is used for commercial, private, military, police and air ambulance helicopters as well as a refuelling stop for light aircraft and