It would be much easier for any UK pilot to simply do overseas training in friendly Australia, Canada or South Africa
The problem is that none of these countries would recognise foreign ratings without jumping through hoops....probably a throwback from the old colonial days
Although I can't stand Bush (oh oh, now the CIA are probably onto me to bang me up in a jail somewhere without trial....or possibly even MI6
), and it makes me cringe when I see him on TV talking about spreading democracy around the globe as it is his destiny from beyond the stars (or some other crap).....but one thing the Americans have got right is GA, and they are happy to recognise everyone elses ratings.....