Anger after Armistice Day Flypast cancelled.
A war of words has erupted over a civilian air traffic controller forcing a jet fighter pilot to abort a mission to honour Australia's war dead.
The RAAF fly-past was supposed to happen last Sunday during Armistice Day commemorations at Kings Park but the air traffic controller refused the pilot clearance to enter Perth airspace, the RSL claims.
RSLWA chief executive John McCourt said the fly-past was even more significant this year on the 100th anniversary of the end of fighting in WWI.
“This was a very important event, more important this year because of the 100th anniversary of armistice.”
"We were just absolutely gobsmacked,” he said.
The RAAF fly-past over Kings Park has always been part of Armistice Day commemorations, with planes flying over the war memorial at exactly 11am.
Air Services Australia blamed the pilot, saying in a statement the fly-past was aborted by the pilot due to an operational delay.
That claim has been rejected by the RSL.
"The RAAF, they're a precise war machine they know exactly what timings are,” Mr McCourt said.
“He (the pilot) was there he was ready and he couldn't get clearance at the right time.”
Having listened to the ATC recordings it was definitely not the pilots fault....