You could get an extension of a check in the USA too. Diversions and re-routings played their part in requiring one. Of course if extensions became too common, your FAA PMI would take an interest. Extensions were a part of the Airline's Approved Maintenance Program.
Certainly at Eastern Air Lines and others I worked for, pilots had no way of knowing the check status of an aircraft. It was not recorded in the aircraft log book but was tracked by the Planning Department who administered it and scheduled checks. Quality Control oversaw it. Flight Crews relied on a current Airworthiness Release in the Aircraft Maintenance logbook as proof the aircraft was serviceable.