A LARGE TRANSPORT ACFT TWO ENG FREIGHTER PILOT REPORTS HIS CONCERNS ABOUT MAINT OPENING THE MAIN CARGO DOOR IN WIND CONDITIONS THAT EXCEED THE MAX LIMITATION OF THEIR OPERATIONS MANUAL.

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THE WINDS WERE RPTED AS BEING 310 DEGS AT 35 KTS; GUSTING TO 45 KTS. TO OPERATE THE MAIN CARGO DOOR; THE MAX WINDS ARE MENTIONED AS 40 KTS IN THE LIMITATION SECTION OF THE AOM. SO I WAS NOT ABOUT TO OPEN THE DOOR AND EXCEED THE DOOR LIMITATIONS. A MECH CAME UP AND AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT OPENED THE CARGO DOOR ANYWAY. I SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED HIM TO MAKE A NOTATION IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK TO THAT EFFECT; WHICH HE DID. IN THE CORRECTIVE ACTION SECTION HE WROTE THAT THE WINDS WERE DIRECTLY ON THE TAIL OF THE CRAFT AND THAT THEY WERE 44 KTS. I ASKED FOR PROOF (ON PAPER) THAT THIS WAS WITHIN THE LIMITS THAT MAINT HAS IN THEIR MANUALS. WHEN HE SHOWED ME THEIR MANUAL; IT SAID THAT WINDS UP TO 50 KTS WERE ALLOWED; BUT THE ACFT 'MUST' BE TURNED WITH THE NOSE INTO THE WIND. THIS WAS DIRECTLY CONTRADICTORY TO THE ACTUAL SITUATION AND SO I BELIEVE THE LIMITS ON THE DOOR WERE EXCEEDED. I FELT PRESSURED INTO FLYING AN AIRPLANE OF WHICH THE LIMITS WERE KNOWINGLY EXCEEDED. MGMNT CONVINCED ME OF THE FACT THAT ALL I NEED TO CHK AS PIC; IS THAT THERE ARE NO OPEN WRITE-UPS AND THAT A MECH HAS SIGNED THE ACFT AS AIRWORTHY ON THE DISPATCH LOG.