Smokejumper
Blog: Living Images
September 29, 2011
I went to Winthrop Wednesday to the forest service's smokejumping base to photograph Dale Longanecker who is retiring Friday after jumping a record breaking 895 times. He was scheduled to take his last jump, a training jump, that morning.
After meeting him, photographing him getting his gear set up, and receiving a short tour of the base, I hopped into a van for a short trip to the landing area up in the forest near Winthrop.
I found out that he'd be the fifth person out of the plane and I was allowed pretty free access at the landing area, being told that the parachutists would be able to avoid me if I didn't move in their way at the last moment.
Dale came out of the plane as predicted and began drifting over to where I was standing but a breeze came up and pushed his parachute toward a large pine tree and as I was shooting photos, he came down through the branches to the ground.
It was an impressive jump for me but probably a little embarrassing for Dale. We'll run a photo of him coming down through the tree because that's what happened but downplayed a bit as the focus is really on his career and not this last jump.
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jwjumper 8 months ago
Smokejumper
An amazing record! Dale's brother Ernie and Dean preceded him as a jumper and their father was an employee in the office working for the legendary Francis Lufkin. Thanks for the photos and article makes all old smokejumpers proud!
carol 8 months ago
Smokejumper
Go Smokejumpers !!!!
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