The DC3 is WONDERFUL to fly! I well remember, having just come straight off light twins, the high cockpit position and tremendous noise and clatter of my first take-off. Back then no-one thought to fit intercom, so the instructor had to shout over the noise. Full takeoff power MUST always be used!
At training weights, take-off is easy enough, as the tail comes up when it wants to. The only thing to watch is don't force it up too quickly or you get a nice gyroscopic swing happening. Lift off at 81 knots, accelerate to 90 knots and you are theoretically OK if an engine quits.
In flight, it's SLOW, but a delight to fly and can be flown very accurately despite the 200 lb flight attendant running up and down the cabin with tea and coffee. The ailerons are quite heavy, but elevator is light and easily trimmed. Everything seems to happen in slow motion, which makes it a great machine for primitive activities like NDB approaches.
Air-conditioning in flight is 100% reliable - open the side windows.
In rain, they all leak, so a large rubbish bag with a hole cut in the base to pull over your head is the best way to keep dry. At least the leaks stop once it ices up, but then the noise starts as the props chuck ice chunks off against the fuselage just behind your ears.
Wheeler landings at light weight are also easy enough - assuming little or no crosswind. Approach at about 85 knots until a landing is assured, over the fence at 75 knots, close the throttles and let it settle. As the mains touch 'pin' it on with a very light forward pressure on the stick. When the tail is ready to come down, relax the slight forward pressure and apply slight aft pressure to get it down onto the tailwheel. All the time working the rudders to keep it straight.
It's when it's heavy at aft c. of g. that it can bite. On takeoff the tail doesn't want to come up, so it takes a bit of a push while counter-acting the gyroscopic swing on the rudders. Landing at aft c.g. / high weight is less forgiving if any swing is allowed to develop, especially in a crosswind as the tail comes down. But anyone who has been taught to fly properly should master it soon enough so that landings are 'greasers' 9 times out of 10. On grass or mud, it can also be 3 pointed - as it had to in some remote strips - by crossing the fence at 70 knots. We applied a crosswind limit of 20 knots on hard surfaces and 10 knots for 3 pointers. We operated up to 28,000 lb gross weight, but I think the Aussie DCA of the time set the gross weight at around 26,000 lb.
Ah, the memories.......