Dr Bruce’s advice seems to contradict the FAA memo from 2018 which states that if the medical expires, then the FAA no longer has a valid reason to ask for more testing, there is no medical
I think that quote from Dr. Bruce might have been for a pilot who had to pass some med tests
while holding a current medical certificate—such as getting monitored for alcohol. The pilot must submit to those tests until the current medical certificate expires. If the pilot doesn’t comply, the medical certificate will be revoked by the FAA, and he or she cannot qualify for BasicMed.
Once the medical certificate expires (i.e., the date on med certificate passes), the pilot no longer has to comply with the SI, because he or she no longer wishes to hold a medical certificate, choosing to fly with BasicMed instead. The FAA cannot revoke an expired medical certificate.
It seems to me like the original poster needs get a new third class med certificate (an SI will likely be required). If the issued certificate is valid for, say, six months, the OP will need comply with whatever tests are required during that six month period. When that six month period elapses and the med cert expires, there will be no need to see an FAA psychiatrist or do whatever the SI requires. Having a med certificate that was not revoked will allow the OP to get BasicMed.
However, the OP might need to see a run-of-the-mill board certified psychiatrist every-so-often while under BasicMed as per 14 CFR 68.9(c). My feeling is that the psychiatrist would only be consulted by the FAA if the pilot did a bad thing (regs violation, crash, or whatever) and the FAA wanted contact the doc. If a bad thing happens and there is no doc, then FAA would not be happy.
I’m not a doctor, I don’t work for the FAA, nor have I recently stayed in a Holiday Inn Express.
