I used to use my 185 for initial tailwheel endorsements for newbie pilots in PNG...least experienced fella had 200hrs (newbie for Catholic Mission at Kiunga-and the most talented
by far(maybe the only true 'natural' I ever saw) of all the guys I trained on type-killed some years later in an Islander)...but most around the 400-600 mark...and a CPL obviously.
The actual 'tailwheel endorsement' took usually around 3 hrs...it was immediately followed with route and airstrip training which probably averaged around 20-25hrs and as many as 70 sectors before being released alone for the first time...to a few easy (PNG version of 'easy') strips.
What I found interesting was that virtually none could reliably wheel land at the end of the 3 hrs in the circuit at Moresby despite my best efforts and numerous demonstrations...although they could all recover a bounced wheeler into a safe three pointer and, obviously, all could three point very nicely. Quit a few could not wheel land even at the end of the route/strip training...wasn't a lot of wheeler landing practice at short and/or steep bush strips.
I signed em all out despite an innability to wheel land and they all nutted it out alone later on...I remember flying past Woitape in a Twotter as one of my proteges was inbound in a C185 a week or so after signing him out...Woitape was long and flat but 1 way due terrain...he called me up after parking and gleefully told me he'd managed a lovely wheeler..it had finally 'clicked'.
Talking to them over the years they all felt the 185 was far and away the most demanding (initially) aeroplane they had flown but also the most satisfying...they all had a soft spot for the aircraft...even 'gleefull in Woitape' who after 400-500hrs in a C206 flying out of Moresby was 'diverted' to the 185 to fill in for some mths when he was expecting a posting onto Islanders...years later he allowed as how he wouldn't have missed the few hundred hrs in the 185 for quids...in hindsight
They all ended up agreeing with me that once you had the aeroplane's measure it was actually easier on really rough steep strips than a C206. When I used to tell them that after their first go in the circuit I'd get this wild eyed, sweating look of dishevalled disbelief as they lifted a coke or smoke to their mouths with shaking hands
None ever damaged or ground looped a C185...something I take some pride in.