Originally Posted by
Lowslung
Your tailwheel example brings up some interesting points: While not considered a “flawed” design, when is the last time you saw one in a rental or training fleet, or even in a flying club? (Yes, I realize there are some out there, but they are very few & far between). Why is that? Because they require extra training and are notoriously difficult to insure due to their much higher rate of accidents & incidents. They are simply mishandled too often for those types of operators to take on that level of risk.
As much as management would like to pay us like we’re a flight school, our experience level is one that can be trained to operate just about any aircraft ever made. You can’t really compare us to renter, flight schools or flying clubs.
Originally Posted by
Lowslung
I understand that operators like FedEx & UPS have training programs that can be designed & continuously adjusted to mitigate some of the risk that comes with operating a ‘unique’ design like the MD11. Those programs have generally served them well, although the MD11 fleets at both airlines seem to have continued to have more than their share of incidents. Combine that with the fact that these airplanes have become increasingly more difficult and expensive to maintain, have had restrictions placed on them at international locations due to reliability concerns and noise, are a design from a dead manufacturer that conform to neither Boeing or Airbus design philosophy & thus require more training for transitioning pilots, are less efficient & now two generations behind currently offered airframes in the class, and you start wondering why on earth top tier operators like Fex & UPS still want to fly them. Personally, I think it’s time to take the hint & retire them.
I agree, they need to be replaced. But with what? There is nothing in production, or available for conversion, that will do what the 11 will do. Not to mention, as Max pointed out, they’re probably mostly paid for as well. I bet management would love to have a replacement that would fill the gap.
I think they are gonna be forced to take something that as close as they can get at this point though. I’m sure this is no surprise to them. It’s probably why they wanted student lines. For all the new training that’s gonna be announced as soon as TA27 is signed.