As usual, two things getting mixed up. One is getting used to controlling (handflying) the aircraft with reference zo a PFD instad of six round dial instruments. That does indeed normally take only a few hours, though I’ve a few senior pilots having difficulty with the “tapes” and interpreting these in split seconds.
The other thing is getting used to more complex avionics interfaces than a KX170, i.e. navigators, advanced autopilots, etc.
For many pilots, the transition to these just happens to “fall together” with the tranistion from steam to glass, hence the perception that the transition to glass takes a lot of training.
Continuous descents aren’t available to GA
It did say CDFA, not just CD. CDFA is available to everyone afaik.
I have often asked for a CD but never actually got one
One of the best tips I’ve had from airline pilot friends is to “Request continuous descent”. Although it does normally come in anticipating steps, it does prevent the miserable situations I was sometime being lured into – e.g. FL100 at 5 miles from destination! Perhaps some ATC units are more inclined to cooperate than others?
J
One of the best tips I’ve had from airline pilot friends is to “Request continuous descent”.
That’s what I use, but I never get it. I get steps which, as I described, can be “made to work suitably”. But sometimes one has to level off before the next step is granted.
I wonder if any airline pilot can input here? Big jets fly CDs and even join the glideslope from above, apparently.
It did say CDFA, not just CD. CDFA is available to everyone afaik.
This is a different thing. CDFA is the act of flying a nonprecision approach, with a continuous descent from the FAF to the MAP, and ignoring any stepdowns between the two. Anybody can fly that because there is no clearance involved after you have been cleared for the approach.
Airliners don’t usually aim to intercept the GP from above as the aircraft is likely to be increasing airspeed while trying to do so unless it is using a lot of drag.
The aim is usually to hit the glide from below at about 180 kt with as little drag as you can get away with and then go down the glide using a little more drag to keep the speed in check in an ideal world you would take the gear at 5 miles and landing flap at about 3.5 miles based on a Vref of about 145 kt
One of the best tips I’ve had from airline pilot friends is to “Request continuous descent”.
Unless you are really good at mental arithmetics, you need a FMS with the appropriate descent profile, a virtual glide slope and preferably an autopilot capable of following a descent profile, in order to perform a CD on an RNAV STAR. Otherwise you will necessarily have step-downs and need to level off before the next step-down.
Unless you are really good at mental arithmetics, you need a FMS with the appropriate descent profile, a virtual glide slope and preferably an autopilot capable of following a descent profile, in order to perform a CD on an RNAV STAR.
What is difficult about the maths? Every GNS430/530 gives you the required sink rate to arrive at a given point at a given altitude. Very handy but you can approximate it yourself and then correct. Our airplanes are slow enough to do that.
you need a FMS with the appropriate descent profile
I happen to have one! 
What is difficult about the maths? Every GNS430/530 gives you the required sink rate to arrive at a given point at a given altitude. Very handy but you can approximate it yourself and then correct. Our airplanes are slow enough to do that.
you need a FMS with the appropriate descent profile
You should be good to go then!
What perhaps is needed is the equivalent of going through route training for an AOC? Practical single pilot A to B planning, adherence to SOPs and having an experienced practitioner providing a critique post flight, and not the ritualistic exam conditions of a re validation or initial. The conditions for the flight being realistic actual IMC conditions.
