Climbing into a SparrowHawk may be the next best thing to metamorphosing into a bird.

In this 155-pound glider, the first new American production sailplane in more than 20 years, one can experience a bird’s eye view of the world, soaring high above the earth in total silence. And the SparrowHawk is manufactured in Bend by Windward Performance, LLC, a homegrown company now filling its first orders.

The SparrowHawk is cheaper (about $26,000, without options) than most engine-powered planes, making it a more affordable option for some pilots. An ultralight aircraft like the SparrowHawk doesn’t need to be registered, and isn’t subject to most Federal Aviation Administration regulations, which helps keep costs down, said the aircraft’s designer, Greg Cole.

Touted as ”functional, rugged and fun” by Cole, the SparrowHawk has already set three world records in its class for speed and distance. With a 75-pound fuselage design that keeps drag low, and wings that weigh about 40 pounds each, the glider is easily maneuverable, and quick to respond in the air.

The SparrowHawk is made almost entirely of carbon-fiber cloth pre-impregnated with epoxy (”pre-preg”). The material is stored in a freezer – to retard the chemical reaction that takes place when it is exposed to heat – until it is formed in carbon-fiber molds. Next, the molds are vacuum-bagged and cured at a high temperature (270 degrees) and assembled in multiple precision jigs constructed of steel and aluminum.

The material, used for the first time in the SparrowHawk, keeps the glider light, but durable, able to withstand impacts and loads that would damage other sailplanes.

Inside the cockpit, the instrument panel is connected to the canopy (which opens from the right side.) The rudder pedals are adjustable and the stick is centrally located, with the tow release and elevator trim knobs on the left side of the cockpit.

While gliding has not yet reached the same level of popularity as flying airplanes, it’s catching on more as the cost to own and maintain a glider continues to decline. And because it doesn’t use fuel, it’s more environmentally-friendly than flying an engine-powered plane.

”Gliding is a sport that in this country certainly doesn’t have the same participation as in some other countries,” Cole said. ”…Soaring takes a certain mentality. But there are a lot of people who, having taken a glider ride, really enjoy it.”

So how do gliders work?

Gliding, sometimes called ”soaring,” is motorless flight. Gliders use naturally occurring atmospheric phenomena, called ”lift,” to gain altitude and stay aloft.

There are three forms of energy that provide lift for a glider: thermals, or columns of warm, rising air; ridge lift, which is created by wind flowing up the windward side of a hill, and wave lift, which occurs when strong winds blow perpendicular to a ridge or mountain. On the sheltered side of the ridge or mountain, the wind is then deflected upward with great force. Wave flights can reach altitudes in excess of 30,000 feet.

Once in a thermal, the glider circles tightly to stay in the lift until high enough to strike out cross-country in search of the next thermal.

Unlike engine-powered aircraft, which require the oxygen found at lower altitudes in order to run efficiently, gliders can fly at altitudes as high as 49,000 feet. And with the discovery of a new kind of lift – polar waves – an altitude as high as 100,000 feet, with the pilot in full space gear, may be achieved.

Because the aircraft is light-weight and easily assembled, it can be toted almost anywhere, Cole said. Gliders, unlike airplanes, can take off and land in places other than a runway.

A sailplane can be launched by an airplane, or the glider can be launched by bungee, in which it is perched on top of a ridge and a length of rubberized rope is attached to the towhook. Teams of runners on each side of the nose run down the hill, catapulting the glider into the air streaming up the face of the ridge.

The glider can even be launched by a vehicle, which pulls the plane at about 45 miles an hour, pulling it up like a kite. The pilot then pulls a release lever, which disconnects the plane from the towrope.

For landing, pilots can use most smaller municipal airports, or even make a soft landing in a field that is unobstructed.

”Depending on where you are in Central Oregon, your average distance between airports may only be 20 miles,” Cole said.

To experience a glider flight, contact Brad Starkey, president of the High Desert Soaring Club, at 382-7016. The cost is $50.

Lisa Rosetta can be reached at lrosetta@bendbulletin.com.