Regarding Chuks post#32, it is exactly for the reasons you elucidate that no "modern-trained" low-houred pilot will ever be let any where near a DC-3 command, because it DOES require training quite discrete in nature and a good handful of hours subsequent to that, during which hopefully the beast will bare its teeth, but not bite too hard, and it's an endangered species anyway.
I was a very busy UK TRE in the mid-seventies on the Dak, and yes, EFATO's taught properly do require a deal of old-fashioned flying skills and physical strength, but teach we did, and we never had an accident.
Highlight of all this was briefing what exactly happens when the tail comes up on takeoff to some furloughed Hamble cadets. They took it all in, but had already been told they were the best, so when the dear old lady swung hard left on each and every one of them, and I took over and deftly (luckily) managed to leave all the runway edge-lights intact, she had already done half my job for me. They all went on to become really good handlers, but never forgot that first lesson.
I have never worked for Air Atlantique, but rather alongside them in the early days. In my last job I had the pleasure of flying with some of the products of their training system, and our company has always held that AA's training and their pilot product is second to none--quite an accolade from such a large organisation. This bodes well, I would have thought, for their safety case.
So, if your AA DC-3 Captain does not have grey hair and a worldly wizened look, rest assured that he/she has still well and truly earned their wings in the best and most appropriate way possible.
We used to carry 36 pax, all their holiday bags, (no notional limit), and had carpets and overhead racks and a galley. AA have dispensed with a lot of that, so fly them lighter, thus adding to the safety margins. (And yes, I have flown ALL their 3's in a previous life!).
I would like to see them grounded ONLY if there were far more compelling arguments presented than those already mentioned. I would like to see them continue to fly passengers IF AA's management really believe, in their heart of hearts, that this is what they want to happen.
Good Luck to all involved. It is still far and away my favourite aeroplane.