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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.

49 of N316FR 3232 of A20N 1965 at KRNO
Gary Schenauer
SuperstarOverachieverMonthly PickPaparazziWeekly PickMaxed OutEnthusiastTrusted friendHonor RollDaily PickOutspokenAmateur PhotographerAnnouncer

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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
27-Jan-2023 A20NReno/Tahoe Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 09:30PM PST 10:33PM PST Scheduled
27-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Reno/Tahoe Intl () 07:18PM PST 08:25PM PST Scheduled
27-Jan-2023 A20NSan Diego Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 05:08PM PST 06:08PM PST Scheduled
27-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()San Diego Intl () 03:09PM PST 04:03PM PST Scheduled
27-Jan-2023 A20NHouston Bush Int'ctl ()Harry Reid Intl () 12:55PM CST 01:51PM PST Scheduled
27-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 06:58AM PST 11:22AM CST Scheduled
26-Jan-2023 A20NMemphis Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 10:26PM CST 11:51PM PST Scheduled
26-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Memphis Intl () 04:15PM PST 09:18PM CST Scheduled
26-Jan-2023 A20NSalt Lake City Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 03:45PM MST 03:52PM PST Taxiing
26-Jan-2023 A20NPhoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Salt Lake City Intl () 12:23PM MST 01:41PM MST 1:18
26-Jan-2023 A20NCleveland-Hopkins Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 09:18AM EST 11:17AM MST 3:58
25-Jan-2023 A20NPhoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Cleveland-Hopkins Intl () 06:56PM MST 12:22AM EST (+1) 3:25
25-Jan-2023 A20NSalt Lake City Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 04:28PM MST 05:37PM MST 1:08
25-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Salt Lake City Intl () 01:15PM PST 03:14PM MST 0:58
23-Jan-2023 A20NCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport ()Harry Reid Intl () 09:11PM EST 09:55PM PST 3:44
23-Jan-2023 A20NDenver Intl ()Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport () 03:36PM MST 07:51PM EST 2:15
23-Jan-2023 A20NTampa Intl ()Denver Intl () 12:43PM EST 02:10PM MST 3:27
23-Jan-2023 A20NDenver Intl ()Tampa Intl () 06:26AM MST 11:25AM EST 2:59
22-Jan-2023 A20NPhiladelphia Intl ()Denver Intl () 08:17PM EST 09:51PM MST 3:33
22-Jan-2023 A20NSarasota/Bradenton Intl ()Philadelphia Intl () 04:52PM EST 06:54PM EST 2:01
22-Jan-2023 A20NPhiladelphia Intl ()Sarasota/Bradenton Intl () 01:07PM EST 03:49PM EST 2:42
22-Jan-2023 A20NTampa Intl ()Philadelphia Intl () 09:35AM EST 11:31AM EST 1:55
22-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Tampa Intl () 12:20AM PST 06:53AM EST 3:33
21-Jan-2023 A20NSan Diego Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 04:08PM PST 04:58PM PST 0:50
21-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()San Diego Intl () 02:14PM PST 02:54PM PST 0:40
21-Jan-2023 A20NSeattle-Tacoma Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 10:56AM PST 12:57PM PST 2:00
21-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Seattle-Tacoma Intl () 07:28AM PST 09:35AM PST 2:07
20-Jan-2023 A20NMetro Oakland Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 11:44PM PST 12:54AM PST (+1) 1:09
20-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Metro Oakland Intl () 09:29PM PST 10:35PM PST 1:06
20-Jan-2023 A20NNashville Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 05:46PM CST 07:46PM PST 4:00
20-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Nashville Intl () 11:11AM PST 03:59PM CST 2:48
20-Jan-2023 A20NSan Francisco Int'l ()Harry Reid Intl () 08:41AM PST 09:50AM PST 1:08
20-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 06:11AM PST 07:21AM PST 1:09
19-Jan-2023 A20NDenver Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 09:54PM MST 10:27PM PST 1:33
19-Jan-2023 A20NCancun Int'l ()Denver Intl () 05:24PM EST 07:14PM MST 3:49
19-Jan-2023 A20NDenver Intl ()Cancun Int'l () 10:15AM MST 03:42PM EST 3:26
19-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Denver Intl () 06:20AM PST 08:44AM MST 1:23
18-Jan-2023 A20NCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport ()Harry Reid Intl () 09:24PM EST 10:29PM PST 4:05
18-Jan-2023 A20NHarry Reid Intl ()Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport () 01:35PM PST 07:37PM EST 3:02
18-Jan-2023 A20NOrlando Intl ()Harry Reid Intl () 09:59AM EST 11:57AM PST 4:57
17-Jan-2023 A20NSt Louis Lambert Intl ()Orlando Intl () 10:18AM CST 01:04PM EST 1:46
16-Jan-2023 A20NCancun Int'l ()St Louis Lambert Intl () 06:09PM EST 08:01PM CST 2:52
16-Jan-2023 A20NSt Louis Lambert Intl ()Cancun Int'l () 11:46AM CST 03:29PM EST 2:43
16-Jan-2023 A20NOrlando Intl ()St Louis Lambert Intl () 06:06AM EST 07:19AM CST 2:13
16-Jan-2023 A20NSt Louis Lambert Intl ()Orlando Intl () 12:57AM CST 03:48AM EST 1:51
15-Jan-2023 A20NTampa Intl ()St Louis Lambert Intl () 10:39PM EST 11:50PM CST 2:11
15-Jan-2023 A20NLong Island MacArthur ()Tampa Intl () 06:34PM EST 09:01PM EST 2:26
15-Jan-2023 A20NFort Lauderdale Intl ()Long Island MacArthur () 02:43PM EST 05:23PM EST 2:40
15-Jan-2023 A20NLong Island MacArthur ()Fort Lauderdale Intl () 10:46AM EST 01:07PM EST 2:21
15-Jan-2023 A20NTampa Intl ()Long Island MacArthur () 07:13AM EST 09:42AM EST 2:29
14-Jan-2023 A20NTrenton Mercer ()Tampa Intl () 06:46PM EST 08:41PM EST 1:55
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