Some of the old Piedmont DC-3s were purchased by Naples Airlines (fl) and flown by them until the early 1980s. I grew up a mile from the airport and we would climb the fence and play in an old Piedmont airframe. LoL I couldn’t imagine getting away with that today.
Things that add to the cool factor IMO:
-Taildragger landing gear...you never see that on big planes nowadays
-Teardrop tapering of the fuselage
-Charmingly rounded vertical stabilizer
-Vintage paint schemes that suit its lines
-Distinctive raked V shape of the front glass