66 Votes (4.58 Average) and 37,118 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
12-May-2025 A20NTampa Intl ()Boston Logan Intl () 06:30AM EDT 09:24AM EDT Scheduled
11-May-2025 A20NRaleigh-Durham Intl ()Tampa Intl () 08:41PM EDT 10:15PM EDT Scheduled
11-May-2025 A20NBuffalo Niagara Intl ()Raleigh-Durham Intl () 05:57PM EDT 07:11PM EDT Scheduled
11-May-2025 A20NTampa Intl ()Buffalo Niagara Intl () 02:24PM EDT 04:31PM EDT Scheduled
11-May-2025 A20NWashington Dulles Intl ()Tampa Intl () 09:47AM EDT 11:53AM EDT Scheduled
11-May-2025 A20NTampa Intl ()Washington Dulles Intl () 06:26AM EDT 08:26AM EDT Scheduled
10-May-2025 A20NRaleigh-Durham Intl ()Tampa Intl () 06:08PM EDT 07:44PM EDT 1:36
10-May-2025 A20NTampa Intl ()Raleigh-Durham Intl () 03:27PM EDT 04:44PM EDT 1:17
10-May-2025 A20NJohn F Kennedy Intl ()Tampa Intl () 11:18AM EDT 01:53PM EDT 2:35
10-May-2025 A20NTampa Intl ()John F Kennedy Intl () 07:23AM EDT 09:31AM EDT 2:08
10-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Tampa Intl () 12:11AM MDT 05:19AM EDT 3:08
09-May-2025 A20NPhoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Denver Intl () 08:00PM MST 10:27PM MDT 1:27
09-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 05:52PM MDT 06:17PM MST 1:24
09-May-2025 A20NJohn Wayne ()Denver Intl () 12:22PM PDT 03:17PM MDT 1:54
09-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()John Wayne () 10:16AM MDT 11:09AM PDT 1:52
09-May-2025 A20NPhoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Denver Intl () 05:50AM MST 08:14AM MDT 1:23
08-May-2025 A20NChicago Midway Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 04:19PM CDT 05:13PM MST 2:54
08-May-2025 A20NBaltimore/Washington Intl ()Chicago Midway Intl () 01:40PM EDT 02:15PM CDT 1:35
08-May-2025 A20NChicago Midway Intl ()Baltimore/Washington Intl () 09:54AM CDT 12:20PM EDT 1:26
07-May-2025 A20NHouston Bush Int'ctl ()Chicago Midway Intl () 11:34AM CDT 01:20PM CDT 1:46
07-May-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 09:13AM EDT 10:05AM CDT 1:52
07-May-2025 A20NSan Francisco Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 12:10AM PDT 07:27AM EDT 4:17
06-May-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 08:23PM EDT 09:49PM PDT 4:25
06-May-2025 A20NPhiladelphia Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 04:17PM EDT 05:53PM EDT 1:36
06-May-2025 A20NMiami Intl ()Philadelphia Intl () 11:38AM EDT 02:10PM EDT 2:32
05-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Miami Intl () 11:49PM MDT 05:06AM EDT (+1) 3:16
05-May-2025 A20NReagan National ()Denver Intl () 08:40PM EDT 09:49PM MDT 3:09
05-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Reagan National () 12:28PM MDT 05:48PM EDT 3:19
04-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Denver Intl () 10:40PM PDT 01:09AM MDT (+1) 1:29
04-May-2025 A20NLos Angeles Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 08:30PM PDT 09:18PM PDT 0:47
04-May-2025 A20NPortland Intl ()Los Angeles Intl () 04:51PM PDT 06:42PM PDT 1:51
04-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Portland Intl () 01:46PM PDT 03:41PM PDT 1:54
04-May-2025 A20NSan Francisco Int'l ()Harry Reid Intl () 11:13AM PDT 12:29PM PDT 1:15
04-May-2025 A20NOntario Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 08:26AM PDT 09:25AM PDT 0:59
04-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Ontario Intl () 06:28AM PDT 07:05AM PDT 0:36
03-May-2025 A20NJohn Wayne ()Harry Reid Intl () 06:25PM PDT 07:13PM PDT 0:47
03-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()John Wayne () 04:06PM PDT 04:49PM PDT 0:42
03-May-2025 A20NPhoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 01:49PM MST 02:35PM PDT 0:45
03-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 11:29AM PDT 12:18PM MST 0:48
02-May-2025 A20NSan Francisco Int'l ()Harry Reid Intl () 10:11PM PDT 11:20PM PDT 1:08
02-May-2025 A20NJohn Wayne ()San Francisco Int'l () 07:36PM PDT 08:36PM PDT 0:59
02-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()John Wayne () 05:21PM PDT 06:02PM PDT 0:40
02-May-2025 A20NSacramento Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 01:23PM PDT 02:29PM PDT 1:06
02-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Sacramento Intl () 10:48AM PDT 11:50AM PDT 1:02
01-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 11:06PM MDT 11:27PM PDT 1:21
01-May-2025 A20NChicago Midway Intl ()Denver Intl () 08:07PM CDT 09:26PM MDT 2:19
01-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Chicago Midway Intl () 03:51PM MDT 06:43PM CDT 1:52
01-May-2025 A20NReagan National ()Denver Intl () 01:04PM EDT 02:20PM MDT 3:16
01-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Reagan National () 06:46AM MDT 11:51AM EDT 3:04
01-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Denver Intl () 12:56AM PDT 03:24AM MDT 1:28
30-Apr-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 10:55PM MDT 11:27PM PDT 1:31
30-Apr-2025 A20NHouston Bush Int'ctl ()Denver Intl () 06:14AM CDT 07:27AM MDT 2:12
29-Apr-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 08:46PM MDT 11:48PM CDT 2:02
29-Apr-2025 A20NSan Antonio Intl ()Denver Intl () 06:46PM CDT 07:31PM MDT 1:44
29-Apr-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()San Antonio Intl () 01:41PM MDT 04:31PM CDT 1:50
29-Apr-2025 A20NHouston Bush Int'ctl ()Denver Intl () 06:28AM CDT 07:29AM MDT 2:01
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