So what do you do when bits drop off the aircraft?
On the other end of the rope, early solo in a K8 glider, (no radio)....at about 500 feet following the tug on climbout, the tug's tailwheel fell off in front of me! I couldn't think of anything useful, so simply continued on tow. Being minus a tailwheel had no adverse effect on landing the tug.
Brian Lecomber once gave a talk at a Booker Gliding Club Dinner, and told us that our flying really impressed him...every takeoff was formation flying, and every landing was an emergency! (technically, anyway).