VFR Flight following
There are frequently suggestions from pilots that ATC in the UK should provide this service, without saying what exactly it entails.
I know it entails identifying traffic requesting the service, but what does ATC actually provide? Is it just proximity hazard warnings, traffic information (as per RIS) or avoiding action as per RAS? Or is it none of these, just an alerting service? How does it differ from RIS?
In ICAO Document 4444 (Air Traffic Management), it's not mentioned, as the USA does not provide ATC in exact conformity to this document, but 4444 does give guidance on the use of radar in the flight information service, and this accords approximately to what we know in the UK as RAS!
I've had over 30 years experience of providing LARS, and seen many changes to types of service (VMC Radar Advisory; IMC radar advisory; TIS and then RIS), so what exactly is flight following, can anyone define it?