Grumpy, I don't know what I did you gain your respect, but thanks! I am indeed an active controller. I work at an en-route centre, but not on a sector that provides a great deal of ATSOCAS. Although I have provided both RIS and RAS in the past month (not because I accidently vectored someone OCAS before you start!).
In the civil world it is mostly provided to GA, not airlines
The number of commercial flights prepared to operate OCAS is certainly on the increase - BAW operate a Shuttle to St. Mawgan!
The reality is that the majority of pilots out there jump into their aircraft and hope for the best. Does anyone really believe most of the pilots who avail themselves of these services understand exactly what’s going on, let alone will do any kind of risk assessment?
And that is why this review is much needed.
Private pilots regularly make go/no go decisions on their flights, but commercial pilots flying into or out of bases OCAS don't get that choice unless it's a tech issue - they've got to fly the schedule. That's why I said it should make operators think a bit more about what they are sending their pilots into.
I believe that one airline is already thinking about changing some planned routes, following recent discussions about the level of ATSOCAS that can be offered to them on the south coast.