For anyone to claim basic med has had little impact seems …absurd.
What, now over 75,000 GA pilots under basic med?
Can all 75,000+ GA pilots be wrong?
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2022/november/17/basicmed-limitation-lifted
Paul, you nailed the underlying question, “Did the 3rd class really do anything for safety?”
The fact that those 75,000+ GA pilots (and light sport pilots too) are NOT falling out of the sky seems to be scientifically-sound evidence that the 3rd class medical accomplished little to nothing, if anything, and at an immense cost, both in $$$ and to freedom.
The doctor expressed frustration that they could not run the other income-generating tests they might otherwise get with other patients… well, what need I say to that?
I am sure that out of the hundreds of thousands of pilots ground through the 3rd class mill over the years, a few patients finally got flagged for the medical attention they needed.
I also speculate that whatever might have tripped them up with 3rd class with FAA would probably have soon been picked up by other symptoms.
The 3rd class cost and negative impacts to the industry greatly outweighed any benefits.
As to basic med’s economic impact to the industry, I speculate a significant percentage of those 75,000 under basic med (and Light Sport too!) would no longer be flying under the traditional 3rd class medical. As result, there are probably tens of thousands of MORE pilots still flying than would be otherwise, which increases demand for the existing fleet, at all price points.
So take a breath and enjoy your freedom!