Finding fires early from the "world's best office" is all in a day's work for spotter pilot Bronwen Prinsloo.
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) senior spotter pilot has coveted this job since she was a teenager learning to fly, while attending John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School (JSRACS), Mirrabooka.
Now based out of Manjimup for eight months of the year, she is up every day in the department's aerial spotter fleet during the fire season.
This fleet comprises 10 American Champion Scout aircraft and is backed-up by water bombing aircraft and air intelligence helicopters.
Ms Prinsloo is one of 16 DBCA pilots.
Their role consists of fire surveillance and detection and assisting with fire suppression, by helping to co-ordinate aircraft over big fires.
On average, the spotter pilots deal with about 350 bushfires each year and are involved with supporting DBCA's prescribed burning in spring and autumn.
Each day, the spotter planes fly in pre-determined district circuits according to weather conditions, with each covering about 215 kilometres daily.
DBCA has 13 fire lookout towers to support the spotter pilots and also uses satellite imagery to detect and monitor fires early.
Ms Prinsloo said it was her dream job, as she loved being in the air every day.
The Perth-born pilot even spends part of the off-season in Manjimup, as she cherishes the laidback lifestyle - and her parents have moved there.
She started flying in year 11 when she signed up for the JSRACS aviation course, which included five free flying lessons.
"I absolutely felt at home in the air from day one," Ms Prinsloo said.
She progressed her flying through the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia (RACWA) and Western Australian Aviation College (WAAC), in Jandakot.
"I achieved my commercial pilot licence in December 2016," she said.
"This comprised 157 hours of dual instruction and solo flying.
"I then worked in the operations department at RACWA during 2017 to save enough money to do my Tailwheel Undercarriage Endorsement so that I could apply to fly the American Champion Scout aircraft for the fire spotting job with DBCA.
"That was always my goal - to be a spotter pilot.
"I applied and was successful in getting the job in 2017.
"Then I was made senior base pilot at Manjimup in 2021."
Ms Prinsloo said there was a real sense of freedom being in the air and the views were amazing.
"You can see so much from the cockpit and it is always different and exciting," she said.
Ms Prinsloo said the main part of her job was fire detection, and every day the spotter pilots covered the Blackwood, Donnelly and Frankland districts from the Manjimup base.
She said this could encompass one to four flights each day looking for fires, or checking on prescribed burns and making sure these were in containment areas.
"It is especially important to do this after lightning strikes," Ms Prinsloo said.
"Some days you can do a lap around the district and find nothing, and on other days you can be bouncing around between several fires - especially after lightning strikes."
In the suppression role, the pilots are on standby from 6am to 6pm.
When there is a fire, the aim is to take an air attack superviser in the air to monitor the fire and act like a mini air control tower, ensuring all the planes are separated.
"We co-ordinate everyone who is in the air," Ms Prinsloo said.
She said the spotter planes were integral to protecting the community because they worked on the principle of rapid initial attack.
"We can spot things quickly and get air and ground support involved as soon as possible," she said.
"I feel like I'm making a difference because, especially when you find a fire early, and even though it can be sort of anti-climactic because nothing happens, it's good that nothing happened because you found it early and everyone dealt with it.
"We will give feedback to the ground crews if they're there about how the fire's progressing, flame height, rate of spread if that's what's required - just any information that they're looking for.
"And then when we get into the hot part of summer, we'll be making sure that there's no fires where there's not meant to be."
Ms Prinsloo said, from the air, fires were fascinating and terrifyingly beautiful at times.
She said despite fire services and aviation being quite male dominated, her team had been very welcoming and everyone worked together well and helped each other.
In the off-season, Ms Prinsloo works for the RACWA and in her downtime loves to read and do art and craft.
"But my passion is my job," she said.
"I am happiest when I am in the air and my job allows me to do that almost every day."
