13 Votes (4.62 Average) and 3,468 Views  

Boeing 737-900 (N805DN) - A pair of Boeings, Delta's N805DN (a B739) and UPS's N444UP (a B752), on the move in the dawn hour at RNO. The Delta jet was taxiing out to Runway 34L for departure to Salt Lake City (KSLC) while the UPS jet was turning off 34L to taxi to the cargo ramp.
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Boeing 737-900 (N805DN)

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A pair of Boeings, Delta's N805DN (a B739) and UPS's N444UP (a B752), on the move in the dawn hour at RNO. The Delta jet was taxiing out to Runway 34L for departure to Salt Lake City (KSLC) while the UPS jet was turning off 34L to taxi to the cargo ramp.

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Gary SchenauerPhoto Uploader
This was a "learning experience" photo series. I don't get an opportunity like this very often with one jetliner moving toward me while another jet is moving away. Added to that was the fact that it was still dawn so the camera settings, including the shutter speed, had to be adjusted to accommodate the darker dawn hour light conditions. In an effort to keep the ISO setting no higher than 400, I slowed the shutter speed slightly. And that was my mistake. The UPS did not come out quite as sharp as I had hoped, and the Delta, which was coasting toward me rather rapidly because it was a few minutes late, is not ultra-sharp. I should have set the ISO to 800 and set a faster shutter speed. I'm OK with this one, but if I ever get another perfect opportunity like this, I'm sure I'll get both in super sharp clarity.
For anyone who may be inclined to try this (AND who is fortunate enough to get two jets moving in opposite directions in the SAME FRAME), here are the settings I used ...
Lens: TAMRON 70-300 ... Focal Dist: 110 mm ... ISO: 400 ... F-Stop: 5.6... Shutter: 1/125 sec ... Light Conditions: Prior to Sunrise
For this shot, I should have set >> ISO: 800 ... F-Stop: 6.3 ... Shutter: 1/250 or 1/320
And a PS -- The Delta jet's engines were creating hot exhaust heat waves and when the UPS passed behind those waves in the distance, they distorted the UPS. I failed to anticipate that. If possible, try to get the shot before one of the jets passes behind the heat exhaust of the other one.
Good luck!!
Lewis Tripp
5 Stars, Gary. Well done.
Darryl Sarno
Great shot Gary!
Gary SchenauerPhoto Uploader
Lewis & Boss D .... Many thanx for your kind complis, guys. I appreciate the kudos, but we all know it could have been a bit better. With one coming closer to me fairly quickly and one in the distance moving further away from me somewhat more slowly, I could not take pics until they were both visible separately and then I had only a few seconds to make fast final corrections to the settings and click a few shots while they were both still in the viewfinder together because the "gap' between them was widening every second. And I wanted both of them to be in sharp focus but one was close while the other was much farther away. As I said above, I'm OK with how this one came out but I did learn from it, too. (I forgot there would be heat waves caused by the Delta's engines - they distorted the UPS in the background.) Frankly, if the sun had been up and the day well lit, I wouldn't have had to fiddle around making adjustments to accommodate the dawn light conditions ... and this shot probably would have been A-OK. But I did learn. KRNO isn't a very busy airport so getting a commercial paxjet taxiing out at the same time as a freighter is landing is not very common, and getting two in the viewfinder simultaneously at this specific angle is even less likely, but if I get another chance at this, I'll do better. But again, Thank You both for your nice comments. (Wave)
Greg Byington
Hey, it is still a pretty darn nice shot! Thanks for the info, Gary. If (and that's a big if) I ever get a chance for this type of shot I'll try to keep all your info in mind! ;-)
Turned out really well
ACTIVITY LOG
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Date Aircraft Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration
11-Mar-2026 B739Bradley Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 07:22PM EDT 09:35PM EDT Scheduled
11-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Bradley Intl () 04:04PM EDT 05:56PM EDT Scheduled
11-Mar-2026 B739Jacksonville Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 01:32PM EDT 02:18PM EDT Scheduled
11-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Jacksonville Intl () 11:08AM EDT 11:51AM EDT Scheduled
11-Mar-2026 B739Greenville/Spartanburg Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 08:45AM EDT 09:23AM EDT Scheduled
10-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Greenville/Spartanburg Intl () 09:11PM EDT 09:38PM EDT Scheduled
10-Mar-2026 B739Palm Springs Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 01:09PM PDT 07:50PM EDT En Route
10-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Palm Springs Intl () 10:02AM EDT 11:09AM PDT 4:07
10-Mar-2026 B739Gerald R Ford Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 06:10AM EDT 07:44AM EDT 1:33
09-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Gerald R Ford Intl () 10:50PM EDT 12:42AM EDT (+1) 1:51
09-Mar-2026 B739Los Cabos Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 02:33PM MST 08:43PM EDT 3:10
09-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Los Cabos Int'l () 12:01PM EDT 01:06PM MST 4:05
09-Mar-2026 B739Newark Liberty Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 08:46AM EDT 10:34AM EDT 1:47
08-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Newark Liberty Intl () 08:27PM EDT 10:08PM EDT 1:41
08-Mar-2026 B739Minneapolis/St Paul Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 03:37PM CDT 06:32PM EDT 1:54
08-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Minneapolis/St Paul Intl () 12:46PM EDT 01:56PM CDT 2:09
08-Mar-2026 B739Charleston Intl/AFB ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 05:37AM EDT 06:23AM EDT Cancelled
07-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Charleston Intl/AFB () 11:07PM EST 11:49PM EST Cancelled
07-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Sacramento Intl () 09:10AM EST 11:01AM PST Cancelled
06-Mar-2026 B739Columbia Metro ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 09:53PM EST 10:39PM EST 0:45
06-Mar-2026 B739Gowen Field ()Columbia Metro () 01:35PM MST 08:19PM EST 4:43
06-Mar-2026 B739Gowen Field ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 01:35PM MST Diverted
06-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Gowen Field () 10:01AM EST 11:54AM MST 3:53
06-Mar-2026 B739Detroit Metro Wayne Co ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 06:27AM EST 07:56AM EST 1:28
05-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Detroit Metro Wayne Co () 09:16PM EST 10:38PM EST 1:21
05-Mar-2026 B739Tocumen Int'l ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 03:28PM EST 07:08PM EST 3:40
05-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Tocumen Int'l () 09:48AM EST 01:31PM EST 3:43
05-Mar-2026 B739Clinton National ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 05:32AM CST 07:36AM EST 1:04
04-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Clinton National () 11:04PM EST 11:11PM CST 1:06
04-Mar-2026 B739Los Angeles Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 02:37PM PST 09:30PM EST 3:52
04-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Los Angeles Intl () 11:17AM EST 12:37PM PST 4:20
04-Mar-2026 B739Charleston Intl/AFB ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 08:43AM EST 09:32AM EST 0:49
03-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Charleston Intl/AFB () 06:54PM EST 07:34PM EST 0:39
03-Mar-2026 B739Bradley Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 03:11PM EST 05:15PM EST 2:03
03-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Bradley Intl () 11:35AM EST 01:23PM EST 1:47
03-Mar-2026 B739Cleveland-Hopkins Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 08:15AM EST 09:38AM EST 1:23
02-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Cleveland-Hopkins Intl () 07:17PM EST 08:33PM EST 1:15
02-Mar-2026 B739Denver Intl ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 01:40PM MST 05:55PM EST 2:14
02-Mar-2026 B739Hartsfield-Jackson Intl ()Denver Intl () 11:30AM EST 12:19PM MST 2:49
02-Mar-2026 B739Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport ()Hartsfield-Jackson Intl () 08:14AM EST 09:22AM EST 1:08
02-Mar-2026 B739Southwest Florida Intl ()Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport () 12:47AM EST 02:44AM EST 1:56
01-Mar-2026 B739Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport ()Southwest Florida Intl () 02:50PM EST 04:43PM EST 1:52
01-Mar-2026 B739Fort Lauderdale Intl ()Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport () 11:20AM EST 01:29PM EST 2:09
01-Mar-2026 B739Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport ()Fort Lauderdale Intl () 07:25AM EST 09:26AM EST 2:00
28-Feb-2026 B739Minneapolis/St Paul Intl ()Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport () 07:52PM CST 10:08PM EST 1:16
28-Feb-2026 B739Punta Cana Int'l ()Minneapolis/St Paul Intl () 02:47PM AST 06:13PM CST 5:26
28-Feb-2026 B739Boston Logan Intl ()Punta Cana Int'l () 08:06AM EST 12:41PM AST 3:34
27-Feb-2026 B739Cancun Int'l ()Boston Logan Intl () 04:46PM EST 08:29PM EST 3:42
27-Feb-2026 B739Boston Logan Intl ()Cancun Int'l () 09:12AM EST 01:36PM EST 4:24
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