Makosa,
your missing my point.....I understand that you would need me on a heading for seperation purposes.
But anywhere else in Europe it would be something like:
ATC: Airliner123, say your heading.
Plane: Our heading is 185 degrees, Airliner123
ATC: Roger, Airliner123, maintain that heading, please.
In France to my surprise, almost every time, I found 5 minutes later that he meant for me to maintain that heading without specifically telling me to.
I expect to get an unambiguous clearance, first to maintain a certain heading (or my present heading off course) and later on to be cleared to navigate to ATN again, not merely "no more heading restriction".
It's not a problem, just noticably only in France.
Ziggy