As a new hire, I know the DC8 would be a less forgiving, more demanding FO aircraft to fly on a day to day basis than the mad dog...

As I've said in previous posts, the MD11 is just an airplane, but it does have some typical Douglas-isms, and is NOT as forgiving as most all Boeing products.

Our MDs are flown at the full range of weights, from max to super light (a lot of our flights are flown "empty," with just empty cans in the back positioning to Asia. Then you get to experience the flare with full forward to full aft cg loadings. It's always different...

The biggest problem with the MD is a typical automation one: it's so automated, that one gets lulled into a mind numbing complacency, and many pilots don't hand fly it very much (by choice, or policy). Couple this with our typical one long leg to the hotel, you just don't get that much stick time. Now, if you do five days of HKG - Clark turns, you get really good by about day three. I actually feel very proficient after a few days of this.