66 Votes (4.58 Average) and 37,263 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.

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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
04-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Chicago Midway Intl () 09:44PM EDT 10:28PM CDT Scheduled
04-Jun-2025 A20NPunta Cana Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 04:23PM AST 08:04PM EDT Scheduled
04-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Punta Cana Int'l () 11:50AM EDT 02:46PM AST Scheduled
04-Jun-2025 A20NHouston Bush Int'ctl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 07:02AM CDT 09:44AM EDT Scheduled
03-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 07:56PM EDT 09:01PM CDT Scheduled
03-Jun-2025 A20NRaleigh-Durham Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 05:08PM EDT 06:25PM EDT Scheduled
03-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Raleigh-Durham Intl () 02:52PM EDT 04:02PM EDT Scheduled
03-Jun-2025 A20NSangster Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 09:23AM EST 12:49PM EDT 2:25
03-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Sangster Int'l () 06:05AM EDT 07:32AM EST 2:26
02-Jun-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 07:43PM CDT 10:12PM EDT 1:29
02-Jun-2025 A20NRaleigh-Durham Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 04:59PM EDT 05:45PM CDT 1:46
02-Jun-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Raleigh-Durham Intl () 01:10PM CDT 03:43PM EDT 1:32
02-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 10:48AM EDT 11:23AM CDT 1:35
02-Jun-2025 A20NJohn F Kennedy Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 06:38AM EDT 08:22AM EDT 1:43
02-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()John F Kennedy Intl () 12:37AM EDT 02:20AM EDT 1:43
01-Jun-2025 A20NCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 08:31PM EDT 09:28PM EDT 0:56
01-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport () 05:54PM EDT 06:55PM EDT 1:00
01-Jun-2025 A20NNew Orleans Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 01:54PM CDT 03:55PM EDT 1:01
01-Jun-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()New Orleans Intl () 12:29PM EDT 12:33PM CDT 1:04
01-Jun-2025 A20NNewark Liberty Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 06:25AM EDT 08:15AM EDT 1:49
31-May-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Newark Liberty Intl () 11:01PM EDT 12:40AM EDT (+1) 1:38
31-May-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 06:44PM CDT 09:09PM EDT 1:25
31-May-2025 A20NDallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 08:22AM CDT 10:11AM CDT 1:49
30-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 11:21PM MDT 01:44AM CDT (+1) 1:23
30-May-2025 A20NCancun Int'l ()Denver Intl () 05:27PM EST 08:50PM MDT 4:22
30-May-2025 A20NHouston Bush Int'ctl ()Cancun Int'l () 01:41PM CDT 03:51PM EST 2:10
30-May-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 10:20AM EDT 11:07AM CDT 1:46
30-May-2025 A20NJohn F Kennedy Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 06:41AM EDT 08:37AM EDT 1:55
29-May-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()John F Kennedy Intl () 11:25PM EDT 01:12AM EDT (+1) 1:47
29-May-2025 A20NBaltimore/Washington Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 07:46PM EDT 09:14PM EDT 1:27
29-May-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Baltimore/Washington Intl () 03:53PM EDT 05:06PM EDT 1:13
29-May-2025 A20NLaGuardia ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 12:14PM EDT 02:08PM EDT 1:53
29-May-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()LaGuardia () 08:53AM EDT 10:33AM EDT 1:39
29-May-2025 A20NWashington Dulles Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 05:48AM EDT 07:13AM EDT 1:24
28-May-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Washington Dulles Intl () 09:37PM EDT 10:48PM EDT 1:10
28-May-2025 A20NSangster Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 03:30PM EST 07:02PM EDT 2:31
28-May-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Sangster Int'l () 12:38PM EDT 01:53PM EST 2:14
28-May-2025 A20NDallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 07:30AM CDT 10:07AM EDT 1:36
27-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 08:05PM MDT 10:34PM CDT 1:29
27-May-2025 A20NLos Angeles Intl ()Denver Intl () 06:39AM PDT 09:40AM MDT 2:01
27-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Los Angeles Intl () 02:08AM MDT 03:10AM PDT 2:01
26-May-2025 A20NOKC Will Rogers Intl ()Denver Intl () 11:53PM CDT 12:22AM MDT (+1) 1:29
26-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()OKC Will Rogers Intl () 05:59PM MDT 08:13PM CDT 1:13
26-May-2025 A20NSacramento Intl ()Denver Intl () 12:12PM PDT 03:33PM MDT 2:21
26-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Sacramento Intl () 09:54AM MDT 10:56AM PDT 2:02
25-May-2025 A20NHartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Denver Intl () 09:24PM EDT 11:16PM MDT 3:52
25-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 02:07PM MDT 07:00PM EDT 2:53
25-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Denver Intl () 09:40AM PDT 12:04PM MDT 1:24
25-May-2025 A20NSan Francisco Int'l ()Harry Reid Intl () 05:54AM PDT 06:59AM PDT 1:04
24-May-2025 A20NOntario Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 10:15PM PDT 11:13PM PDT 0:57
24-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Ontario Intl () 08:35PM PDT 09:10PM PDT 0:35
24-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 06:56PM MDT 07:32PM PDT 1:35
24-May-2025 A20NLos Cabos Int'l ()Denver Intl () 12:32PM MST 04:05PM MDT 2:32
24-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Los Cabos Int'l () 09:14AM MDT 10:52AM MST 2:38
24-May-2025 A20NCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport ()Denver Intl () 06:13AM EDT 06:59AM MDT 2:46
23-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport () 08:41PM MDT 01:03AM EDT (+1) 2:21
23-May-2025 A20NRaleigh-Durham Intl ()Denver Intl () 05:34PM EDT 07:11PM MDT 3:36
23-May-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Raleigh-Durham Intl () 11:17AM MDT 04:15PM EDT 2:57
23-May-2025 A20NSan Francisco Int'l ()Denver Intl () 06:33AM PDT 09:32AM MDT 1:59
21-May-2025 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Denver Intl () 12:24PM PDT 02:48PM MDT 1:23
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