Bose-X,
The difference between today and my hypothetical bilateral would be.
- Rather than pass 7 or 14 exams (or 1 going the FAA way) designed to test all relevant (and much irrelevant) knowledge, It would be one exam /or possibly Oral to test knowledge of the legitimate differences.
- Rather than an initial skills test, it would be the normal periodic check flight
- There would be no minimum qualifying experience - i.e. no 100 hours P1 instrument time (the IR) or 100 hours as pilot (PPL) or 700 hours including 200 in the activity (CPL)
- There would be no requirement for a minimum training period or training at the X's discretion
All in all it would be an acceptance that the pilot is as qualified as if the paper was issued by the local authority - with specific allowances for real local difference. Human factors would be a good example of a real local difference where European physiology is significantly weaker than North American
and hence its requirement to be tested for a non-commercial conversion