I'm more interested in the broader issue of selling out safety. But on a personal note, I'm very concerned about exactly this. As a relatively junior MD-88/90 Captain (and probably several more years before I'll have the seniority to control my schedule to any great degree), how am I going to avoid CDO's? I can't fly them. I flew a couple of them over 20 years ago and couldn't handle them then. It's not going to be any better now that I'm almost 55. I can't sleep during the day. And I've never been able to take naps. It's one of the main reasons why I've never flown international and don't intend to. It's one of the main reasons I stayed on the MD-88 as a First Officer to avoid redeyes when I could have held the 757/767 or 738.

So if we allow CDO's, I can just about guarantee you the 88/90 category is going to be chalk full of them. Maybe some senior guys will bid them but I really doubt there are THAT many of us who don't know better. A lot of these trips will go to people who are junior in their category.

So what am I supposed to do if I get assigned one of these things? Call in sick? Refuse the trip? Fly the first leg and then call in fatigued for the leg in the morning? Bid back to First Officer and take a huge pay cut? I don't really see any other options, as I will not sign a release for a flight when I know damn well I'm too fatigued to justify putting all those people's lives in my hands. I can't begin to tell you how upset it makes me that DALPA would even CONSIDER putting some of us in this position.