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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)

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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.

52 of N316FR 4886 of A20N 2158 at KRNO
Gary Schenauer
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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.
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trembo A
awesome capture!
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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.
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Darryl Sarno
Great shot Gary!
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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!
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ken kemper
Great Capture Gary............

Interesting add on about how the pic was "made".
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JM32
WOW !! I mean really WOW. This is an awesome picture. Well done Gary. 3 thumbs up
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Dale Docken
Totally magnificent, Gary!!
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Qatar123
Awesome shot Gary!
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ACTIVITY LOG
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Date Aircraft Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration
24-Mar-2025 A20NSarasota/Bradenton Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 10:09PM EDT 11:40PM CDT Scheduled
24-Mar-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Sarasota/Bradenton Intl () 05:24PM CDT 08:38PM EDT Scheduled
24-Mar-2025 A20NNashville Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 02:05PM CDT 03:25PM CDT Scheduled
24-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Nashville Intl () 09:51AM MDT 12:49PM CDT Scheduled
24-Mar-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Denver Intl () 07:04AM CDT 08:04AM MDT Scheduled
23-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 09:25PM MDT 12:19AM CDT (+1) En Route
23-Mar-2025 A20NAustin-Bergstrom Intl ()Denver Intl () 06:42PM CDT 07:39PM MDT 1:56
23-Mar-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Austin-Bergstrom Intl () 02:54PM CDT 05:19PM CDT 2:25
23-Mar-2025 A20NHouston Bush Int'ctl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 10:49AM CDT 12:48PM CDT 1:58
23-Mar-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 06:41AM CDT 09:20AM CDT 2:38
22-Mar-2025 A20NTampa Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 06:26PM EDT 07:51PM CDT 2:24
22-Mar-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Tampa Intl () 01:49PM CDT 05:04PM EDT 2:14
22-Mar-2025 A20NTampa Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 10:12AM EDT 11:39AM CDT 2:27
22-Mar-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Tampa Intl () 05:21AM CDT 08:31AM EDT 2:10
21-Mar-2025 A20NSalt Lake City Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 05:29PM MDT 09:03PM CDT 2:33
21-Mar-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Salt Lake City Intl () 02:00PM CDT 04:08PM MDT 3:07
21-Mar-2025 A20NTampa Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 09:51AM EDT 11:19AM CDT 2:27
21-Mar-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Tampa Intl () 05:23AM CDT 08:33AM EDT 2:09
20-Mar-2025 A20NAustin-Bergstrom Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 02:14PM CDT 04:27PM CDT 2:13
20-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Austin-Bergstrom Intl () 10:01AM MDT 12:51PM CDT 1:49
20-Mar-2025 A20NHouston Bush Int'ctl ()Denver Intl () 06:14AM CDT 07:23AM MDT 2:09
19-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 09:07PM MDT 11:56PM CDT 1:48
19-Mar-2025 A20NCancun Int'l ()Denver Intl () 02:57PM EST 05:47PM MDT 3:50
19-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Cancun Int'l () 08:59AM MDT 01:20PM EST 3:20
19-Mar-2025 A20NMinneapolis/St Paul Intl ()Denver Intl () 06:09AM CDT 06:49AM MDT 1:39
18-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Minneapolis/St Paul Intl () 09:20PM MDT 11:43PM CDT 1:22
18-Mar-2025 A20NReagan National ()Denver Intl () 01:15PM EDT 03:13PM MDT 3:57
18-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Reagan National () 06:53AM MDT 11:43AM EDT 2:49
17-Mar-2025 A20NPhoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Denver Intl () 07:20PM MST 09:35PM MDT 1:15
17-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 05:09PM MDT 05:50PM MST 1:41
17-Mar-2025 A20NJoe Foss Fld ()Denver Intl () 03:10PM CDT 03:31PM MDT 1:20
17-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Joe Foss Fld () 11:44AM MDT 01:49PM CDT 1:05
17-Mar-2025 A20NMiami Intl ()Denver Intl () 08:04AM EDT 10:23AM MDT 4:18
17-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Miami Intl () 01:11AM MDT 06:20AM EDT 3:09
16-Mar-2025 A20NHouston Bush Int'ctl ()Denver Intl () 10:21PM CDT 11:33PM MDT 2:11
16-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 05:59PM MDT 08:40PM CDT 1:41
16-Mar-2025 A20NSacramento Intl ()Denver Intl () 01:36PM PDT 04:20PM MDT 1:44
16-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Sacramento Intl () 11:01AM MDT 12:23PM PDT 2:22
16-Mar-2025 A20NReagan National ()Denver Intl () 07:11AM EDT 08:25AM MDT 3:13
15-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Reagan National () 05:11PM MDT 10:14PM EDT 3:03
15-Mar-2025 A20NJohn Wayne ()Denver Intl () 12:44PM PDT 03:35PM MDT 1:50
15-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()John Wayne () 10:42AM MDT 11:40AM PDT 1:58
15-Mar-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Denver Intl () 07:05AM CDT 08:04AM MDT 1:58
14-Mar-2025 A20NSarasota/Bradenton Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 09:38PM EDT 11:06PM CDT 2:28
14-Mar-2025 A20NChicago O'Hare Intl ()Sarasota/Bradenton Intl () 05:19PM CDT 08:37PM EDT 2:18
14-Mar-2025 A20NNashville Intl ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 02:19PM CDT 03:31PM CDT 1:11
14-Mar-2025 A20NDenver Intl ()Nashville Intl () 09:37AM MDT 12:40PM CDT 2:03
14-Mar-2025 A20NPhiladelphia Intl ()Denver Intl () 06:40AM EDT 08:22AM MDT 3:41
13-Mar-2025 A20NNew Orleans Intl ()Philadelphia Intl () 06:18PM CDT 09:33PM EDT 2:15
13-Mar-2025 A20NPhiladelphia Intl ()New Orleans Intl () 02:55PM EDT 04:26PM CDT 2:30
13-Mar-2025 A20NMiami Intl ()Philadelphia Intl () 10:28AM EDT 12:51PM EDT 2:22
13-Mar-2025 A20NPhiladelphia Intl ()Miami Intl () 06:14AM EDT 08:40AM EDT 2:25
12-Mar-2025 A20NPalm Beach Intl ()Philadelphia Intl () 08:59PM EDT 11:14PM EDT 2:15
12-Mar-2025 A20NTrenton Mercer ()Palm Beach Intl () 05:25PM EDT 07:48PM EDT 2:23
12-Mar-2025 A20NPalm Beach Intl ()Trenton Mercer () 01:19PM EDT 03:30PM EDT 2:11
12-Mar-2025 A20NPhiladelphia Intl ()Palm Beach Intl () 09:42AM EDT 11:47AM EDT 2:05
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