Lossie Fest at RAF Lossiemouth

Lossie Fest is the annual friends and family event based at the RAF Lossiemouth air base, located directly next to the town of Lossiemouth in northeast Scotland. I covered the event last year from afar, getting some great shots of the red arrows and typhoon air displays, but this time, I was lucky enough to get on the base to experience the event firsthand.

My dad had been in the RAF for many years and was able to arrange tickets with an old friend who still worked on the base. Being from an RAF family, I once lived next to the base. I often saw many different types of aircraft on a daily basis, including Shackletons, Tornadoes and Sea King helicopters.

I relished the chance to revisit the base and perhaps relive some childhood memories, as I had always attended the open days. I was also keen to see the F35B aircraft up close; I saw it hovering far in the distance last year and hoped to see it from the edge of the display zone this year.

My visit to Lossie Fest

We first met my dad's work friend at the Coop Superstore near the air base's entrance. He supplied us with wristbands and a well-designed programme of the day's events. From the Coop, we continued onto the air base, where armed personnel checked our wristbands.

Parking up, I noticed the familiar shape of a Tornado GR4 set up at the entrance to the base. It was great to see one up close; I have decades of memories of seeing these fly high in the Moray skies.

Entering the festival site

The festival was set up over a huge area. It encompassed the control tower, a hanger, and part of the runway. We first made our way to a small vehicle display of tractors and some very nice cars. Over on the runway, I could see the static planes, which I was eager to see.

Static Aircraft Displays

The static aircraft displays were my favourite area of the festival site. It was amazing to get up close to these planes, especially the Typhoon, a common sight over my side of East Moray.

The planes in the static display included:

• Airbus C-295MW Maritime Surveillance Aircraft

• P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Craft

• Cessna F406 Fisheries Protection Caravan

• Typhoon FGR4 Combat Aircraft

• General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon

• Airbus A400M Atlas

Many service personnel were on hand to answer questions about the different aircraft on show. The American F16 pilots seemed to be having a rare time chatting with the locals.

Poseidon & Typhoon Fly By

As the static aircraft displays were near the area of the air show, I waited for the Typhoon display. Unknown to me, the Typhoon display team could not make it this year, but we did get a nice flyby of a Poseidon flanked by two Typhoons.

F35B Display

Sometime later, I got a glimpse of the F35B, parked outside a hanger. I rushed back to the fence near the display area. I got some initial photos of it taking off, but I moved closer to the display area to get the images below. I was amazed when it hovered motionless in the air; it was very impressive. This aircraft was the highlight of the day for me and really made it worthwhile coming, especially after the disappointment of no Typhoon display.

Many very expensive camera lenses enjoyed the show, many of them used by service personnel. I felt a bit out of my league with my lowly old 400mm, but I'm still pleased with the shots I got.

Gun Tent

My nephew was with us and took particular interest in a little tent with different types of weaponry, including sniper and assault rifles. He could hold the weapons and feel their weight. The soldiers were friendly and showed my nephew how to operate the guns.

Visiting the Hanger

Our last destination was the hangar, which contained many stalls and charities. At the back corner was an Old SEPECAT Jaguar; my dad worked on these while based in Germany. My nephew Ross had fun playing a flight simulator game, and I checked out the Warhammer stand, where there was an active Blood Bowl game in progress—that brought back a few memories!

FAQs on Lossie Fest

Where can I view the airshow outside of the air base?

The best place is Lossiemouth West Beach, where I watched the display last year. You may not see much if it's just the Typhoon and F35B display, as it's quite far away. You might see a Poseiden fly directly over the beach. If the Red Arrows are in attendance, the beach isn't a bad spot to get some photos.

Where can I get tickets for Lossie Fest?

You can only get them through active base personnel, and even then, it can be difficult for them to get tickets as they are so sought after.

Can the people of Lossiemouth gain access to Lossie Fest?

Unfortunately, that is not the case; passes need to be applied for by those working on the air base.

Can veterans/retirees gain access?

No, only through active personnel working on the base. It's a pity the powers that be won't relax the rules a little.

Key Information

• Lossie Fest is a friends and families event held annually at RAF Lossiemouth in northeast Scotland.

• The event is usually held in July and can only be accessed by applying for tickets by someone who works on the base.

• Air displays are often performed by a Typhoon FGR4, an F35B Lightning II, and sometimes the Red Arrows display team.

• Many static planes can be visited and even toured.

• There is a fairground, food stalls and toilet facilities provided.

• One of the hangers is open with stalls for local businesses and other static displays about the station.

• Many road closures are in effect around the air base during the event.

• The public land north of the base (Lossie West Beach) is the best place to view the air displays outside the camp.

Conclusion

Lossie Fest is a fantastic day out for the whole family if you can get passes. There's so much to do onsite: planes and fantastic air displays, fairground rides, food and drink stalls, craft stalls, arts and crafts, and so much more.

It's still worth heading to Lossiemouth on the day of the event; it's pretty nice sitting in the grassy sand dunes of West Beach and watching the air displays in the distance. Read about my experiences there last year in this article.