I was full time Pawnee driver at a gliding club once. It was a PA 25-235. I first flew it with a glider on the back to tame it down.
Flying the Pawnee without a glider is definately like flying a shuttle. It really does go up quickly. It's kind of like an aerial truck. Pilots needed 100 hours P1 time to fly ours for insurance reasons. I think this is the norm due to the hp. Most guys started on a Sup Cub or Husky then moved onto the PA- 25. The hopper in ours stank of thymol from it's spraying days.
Great aircraft, great fun. The doors leaked badly if it rained though!
Bill