The Optica, powered by a 160 hp (119 kW) Lycoming IO-320 engine, made its maiden flight on 14 December 1979[REF] when it was flown by Squadron Leader Angus McVitie, the chief pilot of the Cranfield College of Aeronautics [REF].
The Optica went through several changes of ownership, until FLS Aerospace (Lovaux Ltd) took over the rights, together with the design and manufacturing rights to the Sprint: a two-seat ab-initio trainer that had been designed by Sydney Holloway in Cornwall UK at about the same time as the Optica.