As a beginner microlight pilot, I can only reflect on actions of the more experienced pilot-instructor in the right seat. I do have observed that, the more experienced the instructor, the further he'll let the student pilot go in his errings. This increases the students chances of observing them without help, and that is a great plus.
I also have felt like opposing the pilot when I was a guest in his plane. But given my lack of skills/experience, and the fact that it was HIS plane and HIS fine, I bit my tongue, and prayed nothing should go wrong, and looked pointedly ahead at the horizon - knowing that for my best way to avoid getting sick.
What I have also experienced is instructors/plane owners demonstrating their skills and/or the capacities of their planes, bringing me only a scare and no kind of impression, unless negative. But that was far less hard, I only had to wait for it to be over. The one who beautifully avoided this pitfall was the very nice chap who gave me a demo flight in a Europa at Wombleton.