Steve,
I don't think many pilots here (UK) have too many good words for the exams. A lot (me included) train abroad and then convert. We also have to do the damned things, and a more worried pissed off bunch of people, you won't find. Lots of pilots get binned having passed 13 /14 exams. The UK proffesional licence exams have allways been ATPL standard (even for CPL) and then you automaticaly get ATP when you get enough hours. Which may be one reason for the difference in licence standards. (this is changed under JAA)
I do agree that someone with that sort of experience should go through, after all, FAA pilots fly in to Heathrow about every 20 minutes, and do so without any fuss.
However the FAA exams (just doing them now) do seem P**s poor. Multi guess from THREE and no nav trip! for a commercial pilot??. The JAA/UK exams are not easy, or very relevant in many areas. The examiners are not really rotary conversant. There is no RW performance exam for instance (maybe they don't think it affects helo's), but of course I don't think that the UK authorities really want us to fly them like helicopters.
The chap in question can get a full CPL with IR with just air law and Human performance (won't even have to learn morse, lucky b***er)
P.S As the bloke has SO many hours, does he want to sell some, you know, just the old ones he doesn't use any more