I agree..personally enjoyed the "freedom" of American airspace but always knew it was at the expense of something else... Then again, I wouldn't expect a European airliner do S-turns on final to build up separation to a PA28 ahead
I started my flying in a Scandi country and even there the 8 miles could stretch outside the CTR. Not sure about France. Not many captains I fly with seem to remember VFR operating rules and what airspace they're flying in… because it's not relevant to their type of operation… but is it?