Commonly known as "the Slingsby," the Slingsby Firefly replaced the Musketeer as the Air Force's ab initio pilot trainer. It is a modern light-weight composite civilian design adapted for military training including aerobatic training.

These aircraft do not actually belong to the military, but rather by a consortium led by Bombardier (Canadair) (Canadair logos are displayed on the side of the fuselage as well as the Bombardier insignia on the tail); accordingly, the instructors are civilian employees of the contractor. The training location is still familiar to many military-trained pilots, as the Southport, Manitoba training area was known as CFB Portage la Prairie during the time when the military maintain its own facilities for pilot.