66 Votes (4.58 Average) and 37,376 Views  

Airbus A320neo (N316FR) - Frontier's "Shelly the Sea Turtle" (N316FR) is snapped here in an extremely rare capture; a view of a commercial passenger jet taking off toward the camera's position with Slide Mountain in the background. This unusual photo was actually "caused" by the COVID virus -- because the Frontier jet was almost completely empty, its lack of weight allowed it to rotate less than 3000 feet down runway 34L and climb so rapidly that it was high enough that Slide Mountain could be seen and photographed in the background. Most pictures that show Mt Rose and Slide Mountain are one of two types: they show aircraft on short final approaches as they are about to land on either 34L or 34R ... or .. they are photos showing jet airliners from the rear view angle as they are climbing after taking off from runways 16R or 16L. This "head-on' view of a commercial pax aircraft departing Reno with Slide in the background is only possible if the departing airliner rotates quickly and climbs rapidly, as the nearly empty Shelly did here.
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Airbus A320neo (N316FR)

Submitted

Frontier's "Shelly the Sea Turtle" (N316FR) is snapped here in an extremely rare capture; a view of a commercial passenger jet taking off toward the camera's position with Slide Mountain in the background. This unusual photo was actually "caused" by the COVID virus -- because the Frontier jet was almost completely empty, its lack of weight allowed it to rotate less than 3000 feet down runway 34L and climb so rapidly that it was high enough that Slide Mountain could be seen and photographed in the background. Most pictures that show Mt Rose and Slide Mountain are one of two types: they show aircraft on short final approaches as they are about to land on either 34L or 34R ... or .. they are photos showing jet airliners from the rear view angle as they are climbing after taking off from runways 16R or 16L. This "head-on' view of a commercial pax aircraft departing Reno with Slide in the background is only possible if the departing airliner rotates quickly and climbs rapidly, as the nearly empty Shelly did here.

Comments

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Gary SchenauerPhoto Uploader
There was one additional factor that made this photo possible. The thinner air at RNO usually means that departing commercial aircraft must make longer takeoff rolls in order to rotate and get airborne, so even though this FFT was nowhere near as heavy as it normally would have been, it still would have had to stay on the runway to get up to Vr speed. However, the wind was blowing so intensely directly toward aircraft departing on the 34s that this Frontier obtained added lift so as soon as it came off 34L it climbed very rapidly and from my location the snow-capped mountains came into view behind it.
trembo A
awesome capture!
Gavin Hughes
Great capture Gary. From your comprehensive comment it seems all things came together but if you don't add skill, you get zilch or poor. Neither of the latter apply here.
Darryl Sarno
Great shot Gary!
Tom Vance
I see G-man is out dusting us off the charts again....you forgot to add " extremely rare",,,I've never seen a photo of Slide Mtn in this type of view from RNO! 5 Sliders and Calendar shot!
ken kemper
Great Capture Gary............

Interesting add on about how the pic was "made".
JM32
WOW !! I mean really WOW. This is an awesome picture. Well done Gary. 3 thumbs up
Dale Docken
Totally magnificent, Gary!!
Qatar123
Awesome shot Gary!
ACTIVITY LOG
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Date Aircraft Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration
17-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Minneapolis/St Paul Intl () 09:49PM MDT 12:34AM CDT (+1) Scheduled
17-Jun-2025 A20NEppley Airfield ()Denver Intl () 08:01PM CDT 08:34PM MDT Scheduled
17-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Eppley Airfield () 04:29PM MDT 06:45PM CDT Scheduled
17-Jun-2025 A20NJohn Wayne ()Denver Intl () 12:11PM PDT 03:19PM MDT Scheduled
17-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()John Wayne () 10:12AM MDT 11:10AM PDT Scheduled
17-Jun-2025 A20NMinneapolis/St Paul Intl ()Denver Intl () 07:21AM CDT 07:51AM MDT Scheduled
16-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Minneapolis/St Paul Intl () 09:52PM MDT 12:36AM CDT (+1) Scheduled
16-Jun-2025 A20NOntario Intl ()Denver Intl () 05:34PM PDT 08:36PM MDT Scheduled
16-Jun-2025 A20NSeattle-Tacoma Intl ()Ontario Intl () 02:03PM PDT 04:24PM PDT Scheduled
16-Jun-2025 A20NOntario Intl ()Seattle-Tacoma Intl () 10:21AM PDT 12:27PM PDT En Route
16-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Ontario Intl () 08:12AM MDT 09:14AM PDT 2:01
16-Jun-2025 A20NLaGuardia ()Denver Intl () 12:08AM EDT 02:10AM MDT (+1) Cancelled
15-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()LaGuardia () 07:05PM MDT 12:36AM EDT (+1) Cancelled
15-Jun-2025 A20NJohn Wayne ()Denver Intl () 12:26PM PDT 03:13PM MDT 1:47
15-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()John Wayne () 10:08AM MDT 11:11AM PDT 2:02
15-Jun-2025 A20NReagan National ()Denver Intl () 07:07AM EDT 08:28AM MDT 3:21
14-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Reagan National () 06:52PM MDT 11:53PM EDT 3:01
14-Jun-2025 A20NEl Paso Intl ()Denver Intl () 01:19PM MDT 02:48PM MDT 1:28
14-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()El Paso Intl () 10:48AM MDT 12:09PM MDT 1:21
14-Jun-2025 A20NLos Angeles Intl ()Denver Intl () 06:38AM PDT 09:36AM MDT 1:57
13-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Los Angeles Intl () 11:53PM MDT 12:50AM PDT (+1) 1:56
13-Jun-2025 A20NNorthwest Arkansas Ntl ()Denver Intl () 09:12PM CDT 09:45PM MDT 1:33
13-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Northwest Arkansas Ntl () 04:24PM MDT 06:48PM CDT 1:24
13-Jun-2025 A20NReno/Tahoe Intl ()Denver Intl () 12:06PM PDT 02:57PM MDT 1:51
13-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Reno/Tahoe Intl () 09:55AM MDT 10:45AM PDT 1:49
13-Jun-2025 A20NHouston Bush Int'ctl ()Denver Intl () 06:20AM CDT 07:12AM MDT 1:52
12-Jun-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 08:30PM MDT 11:34PM CDT 2:04
12-Jun-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Denver Intl () 04:32PM PDT 07:06PM MDT 1:33
12-Jun-2025 A20NSan Antonio Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 02:09PM CDT 02:35PM PDT 2:25
12-Jun-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()San Antonio Intl () 08:35AM PDT 12:43PM CDT 2:07
11-Jun-2025 A20NPhoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 07:38PM MST 08:22PM PDT 0:44
11-Jun-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 04:59PM PDT 05:44PM MST 0:45
11-Jun-2025 A20NSan Francisco Int'l ()Harry Reid Intl () 02:13PM PDT 03:17PM PDT 1:04
11-Jun-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 11:01AM PDT 12:11PM PDT 1:09
10-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 05:07PM EDT 05:53PM PDT 3:45
10-Jun-2025 A20NLaGuardia ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 12:01PM EDT 02:02PM EDT 2:00
09-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()LaGuardia () 09:43PM EDT 11:21PM EDT 1:37
09-Jun-2025 A20NCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 05:56PM EDT 07:07PM EDT 1:10
09-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport () 03:03PM EDT 04:14PM EDT 1:10
09-Jun-2025 A20NSangster Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 09:18AM EST 12:45PM EDT 2:26
09-Jun-2025 A20NLaGuardia ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 06:35AM EDT 08:31AM EDT Cancelled
09-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Sangster Int'l () 06:07AM EDT 07:30AM EST 2:22
08-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()LaGuardia () 11:43PM EDT 01:51AM EDT (+1) Cancelled
08-Jun-2025 A20NPunta Cana Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 04:36PM AST 07:43PM EDT 3:06
08-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Punta Cana Int'l () 11:33AM EDT 02:31PM AST 2:57
07-Jun-2025 A20NOrlando Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 07:46PM EDT 08:53PM EDT 1:07
07-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Orlando Intl () 03:32PM EDT 04:30PM EDT 0:57
07-Jun-2025 A20NSangster Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 09:18AM EST 12:40PM EDT 2:22
07-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Sangster Int'l () 06:13AM EDT 07:33AM EST 2:19
06-Jun-2025 A20NLos Angeles Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 07:17PM PDT 01:48AM EDT (+1) 3:30
06-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Los Angeles Intl () 04:27PM EDT 05:53PM PDT 4:26
06-Jun-2025 A20NChicago Midway Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 11:38AM CDT 02:06PM EDT 1:27
05-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Chicago Midway Intl () 10:39PM EDT 11:09PM CDT 1:29
05-Jun-2025 A20NLos Angeles Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 02:15PM PDT 08:58PM EDT 3:42
05-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Los Angeles Intl () 11:14AM EDT 12:47PM PDT 4:32
05-Jun-2025 A20NChicago Midway Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 06:40AM CDT 09:08AM EDT 1:27
04-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Chicago Midway Intl () 09:53PM EDT 10:23PM CDT 1:30
04-Jun-2025 A20NPunta Cana Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 04:27PM AST 07:36PM EDT 3:08
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