jan olieslagers wrote:

-) two springs missing that should have held exhaust pipes together.
instructor judged we could fly, though
-) fatigue cracks in a bracket that hold the oil cooler.
instructor judged we could fly, though
-) oil cooler still partially covered for the winter cold on a sunny day
in May. instructor judged we could fly, though

So no, I never was significantly delayed in my 40 or so hours of
tuition, but problems do show up.
KA

The press-on instructor approach you mentioned reminded me of student
touch and goes long ago.
After landing, I tried to switch the flaps to up - but they wouldn't
move. I was about to pull the throttle - but the CHIEF instructor said,
let's press on. He tried the fuse - no go - and up we went - at about
150 FPM....

Brian W