Wingman, the debut film from documentarian Dylan H. Brown, features paraglider Peter Thompson in an attempt to paraglide across the Colorado Rockies. Thompson braves dangerous weather in the air while hiking for miles in search of suitable launch points. If he succeeds in this challenge to fly across the mountains into Wyoming, he will be the first paraglider to do so. We learn how Thompson came to Colorado and see the life he leads with his partner, Sammie. They are both focused on outdoor life and human-powered activities.
Brown documents every minute of the perilous journey, with color commentary from other seasoned veteran paragliders. We learn that paraglider flight systems are inefficient and difficult to control and that finding lifting thermals in the mountains is part skill but mostly chance. The mountains are an unforgiving environment for paragliders (and all aircraft) and a mistake, or just plain bad luck, could be fatal. There’s also the issue of hypoxia. Thompson must carry supplemental oxygen as the air can become unbreathably thin at the extreme altitudes needed to cross the mountains.
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“…adventurer Peter Thompson attempts to hike and paraglide across the Colorado Rockies…”
The weather is also a challenge, with frequent thunderstorms along the ridges. A meteorologist points out that the mountains present microclimates at different altitudes, each of which must be managed with particular attention to those combinations of factors. When the storms come, Thompson huddles up in his tent to rest and wait it out. He repeats the extreme routine day after day. Wingman covers his third attempt to complete this journey.
Thompson starts with a 100 mile traverse on day 1, and uses all his skills, experience, and luck with winds and weather to wind his way toward Wyoming. He circles up in a rising column of warm air until he achieves enough altitude to glide to the next thermal or to a safe landing zone. When the weather is too windy for flying, he packs his flying rig and hikes to find a good launch spot for when the weather is better.
Wingman invites you to fly along for the ride of a lifetime with Pete Thompson, high above the stunning mountain-scape of the Colorado Rockies as he picks his way from thermal to thermal over the awe inspiring summits. Most documentaries are made to inform, but Wingman does far more, as Brown takes us on a heart-stopping thrill ride high above the gorgeous ridge-lines.
"…a heart-stopping thrill ride high above the gorgeous ridge-lines"
