I am a student pilot with, and I have had carpal tunnel for years now. It has progressed to a point where my left hand is frequently weak and/or achy. I do have use of the hand, and it is quite uncomfortable in the landing flare since I have to control the yoke left-handed when flying in the left seat to leave my right hand free for the lighter-duty tasks of operating the throttle and other equipment.
I am very close to my check-ride and I am scheduled to have surgery on my left hand next month. I don't want to suspend my training and get rusty. Also, after the surgery, I suspect that my left hand may not be 100% for some time, and I don't want to miss out on these great flying months.
I have seen articles about pilots with disabilities far greater than a case of carpal tunnel, so I'm wondering if there is a way I can avoid putting my training on hold.
Is it permissible to fly from the right seat so that my weak hand only needs to operate the throttle, flaps, etc. while letting my stronger hand handle the yoke?
Is this simply a request to my instructor/examiner or does this trigger an avalanche of FAA medical paperwork to make it legal?
I realize I would have to adjust to a slightly different sight picture in the right seat but I think that is a relatively minor transition in the grand scheme of things.