One more question regarding the LSO debriefs following the approaches/landings...do the debriefs consist of just a grade given or is there also instruction added as to how a specific approach/landing can be improved?
Nope, not from the debriefing LSO. It's "here's how I saw it, here's your final grade." There's an unwritten rule: No arguing with paddles; just say thank you and move on.
TINS: Flying with my cruise pilot (Me as ECMO1), he flies a rails pass. We confirm the rails pass on the VCR taped pass; high fives all the way around. Paddles comes in with "Blah, blah, blah, FLAT AT THE RAMP, FAIR 3 wire." Total BS and not anything we saw on the PLAT or experienced in the jet. My pilot bit his tongue, said 'thanks paddles' then proceeded to have a long discussion with our squadron paddles.
Most of the 'how to improve' post event comes from the
squadron paddles either one-on-one, or in a group via squadron training; not from the de-briefing paddles.
BTW, boat grades during a line period have been know to kill a pilot's career. We had two dudes that never came back after COMPTUEX due to boat grades.