Originally Posted by BDiONU
You misunderstand the type of service you're requesting. In the UK (There is no such service as flight following) a Flight Information Service is not a radar service, you will not normally be given a squawk. If you want a radar service then you need to ask for one, either Radar Information or Radar Advisory of the appropriate unit.
HTH
BD
Not really. I'm aware of FIS/RIS/RAS, but again, RIS/RAS are UK only (RAS IFR only, anyway). Why not provide a comprehensive FIS (for want of a better acronym) as is the norm on the continent? Just to add, I'm aware of the 'workload permitting' disclaimer in the US (and indeed Europe), but that has, aside of one or two occurences in the LAX area, never been an issue for me.
Any service like that would actually solve two problems:
a) it would make PPL / VFR traffic more attuned to
flying in the system
b) it would eliminate the (perceived) need to use 121.5 for practive calls