smithy -
I'm a UK citizen with a South African Com (as they like to call it over there!).
I have several European friends with SA Coms, some of whom are considering converting. I am pretty sure that I would have heard through the grapevine if there was a conversion loophole, and I've heard nothing.
It's crazy, as we all know, but unfortunately you have to pay up.
Maybe someone will take a test case to the European Court one day, and win. Until then, we are stuck with this complete nonsense.
As far as folk like Slipside are concerned - they are not the norm on Pprune, so don't be put off. To fill you in: Ronny is an amusing, occasional, poster who has a unique, anti JAA, ranting way with words!! Unfortunately, the younger and more intellectuallly challenged members of Pprune use his occassional postings as an excuse to use bad language and clog up threads.