The secret to land the MD-11 in gusty cross winds is to align with the runway using the rudder not later than 500 feet and don’t allow the auto-throttle to retard at 50 feet RA. In other words, hold the thrust levers to maintain the Vref + wind additives and manually retard the throttles to idle at touchdown.
This is not an easy task and requires a lot of experience to achieve this technique, that’s why pilot qualification has an important role here.]
So, in your view, where should this "experience" be gained in order for this task, which is "not easy", to become part of a line pilot's repertoire? With pax in the back (thankfully now a relatively rare occurence) or with thousands of dollars of other people's goods on the main deck or in the simulator?
You may have mastered the beast but clearly other pilots haven't and even the most experienced can be caught out by a set of circumstances.
If the aircraft is that tricky to deal with in an everyday situation such as a cross wind the question has to beasked about its suitability for continued service for the sake of those who still ride down the back, including many American troops, the freight shippers and you and the other crew who fly the aircraft.
I've seen many an MD-11 landing in cross winds over many years. The aircraft has always looked to handle the situation far less tidily than other wide bodies before or following