Hi all! I've always had it in the back of my mind to someday try to learn to fly small planes, and in my middle age I'm now seriously researching it, dithering between private pilot and sport pilot as goals. (Daytime VFR flying is all I really want to do.) The biggest roadblock is that I have a mental health condition which would require me to get a special issuance medical even for the sport pilot license, which involves proving I'm under a state-licensed doctor's care and that I'm managed and safe to fly. My understanding is these can get backlogged in the bureaucracy and even then it's not a sure thing you'll get it.

So I feel like I want to be prepared for the possibility that I can't pass the medical and would be unable to fly solo under the private pilot or sport pilot rules.

In such a circumstance, realistically speaking will I still be able to hire an instructor to take the lessons I would take for, say, the sport pilot license, then just not do the solo flying? That would still get me cockpit time (fun and educational) while still being under the instructor's supervision (safe). Would typical instructors at a small airport be happy to arrange that or would I need to do some fast talking?

For folks who have dealt with getting a special issuance on the medical, what sort of delays or problems did you have? Is it something that is reasonable to pursue, or trickier than it seems?

Thanks in advance for any help! I'm new here and still working out where to best direct my efforts learning.