Matthew Gerde's Logbook

Emily and I got engaged on February 14, 2010 and will get married on May 28, 2011 in Fargo.

Wedding Site

I passed the Ham Technician class license test on June 16th, and today I got my callsign, KD0IEF. I am looking forward to getting some good experience as an operator. My first radio is going to be a Yaesu VX-8R HT, and it will be here within the next couple of days, after which I will officially have my station on the air! The VX-8R is the newest handheld from Yaesu. It boasts 6M/2M/1.25M/70cm capability with up to 5 Watts of transmit power. I’m getting a magnetic mount dual-band Diamond antenna for my car which will be my “station” for now.

My Station: KD0IEF QRZ Record

Maverick came home with us yesterday.  He is more handsome than I though he would be, and he is very very hyper!

General Aviation is a vital part of this nation’s infrastructure, and it is being threatened. The GA Serves America site shows what GA is all about, how important it is, and how funding changes could cripple aviation. Flying is a big part of my life as a pilot, and I would bet that GA affects your life in some way as well. Take a look at this site to see what is going on, and give your support.

I’ve been on EMS and aviation air bands before, but soon I’ll be joining the amateur radio bands. I started studying for my Ham Technician license recently and I’ll hopefully take the test soon.

Maverick was born on April 15, 2009. He will be brought home when he is about 7 weeks old.

An Air Force Global Hawk UAV was on display outside the UND Aerospace building today. They are MUCH larger than they appear on TV or pictures, and look like they could deliver quite the impersonal ass-kicking. Unfortunately, they had to put some stubby wings on to get it there, but it still looks menacing.

Information on the Global Hawk

Got to fly an Aviat Husky A-1b (N191DH) today. It’s a ‘98 or ‘99 model and in excellent condition with very low hours and modern avionics including electronic engine monitoring and a Garmin Nav/Com/GPS. These aircraft are extremely versatile and fun to fly. The thing I really enjoyed about flying this Husky is it’s preponderance of power – a lot of these light tandem-seat taildraggers have more than enough oomph. The constant-velocity propeller makes for an efficient aircraft too. I definitely wouldn’t mind owning one.

Many people have been helping keep the 2009 Red River flood at bay whether they are directly affected or not.  Many members of the Medical School have joined in as well.

Go to album

I am currently a 2nd year medical student at UND SMHS.  It’s been a grueling but great experience so far.  I will be on the Fargo and Bismarck campuses for my 3rd and 4th years.

UND SMHS

I have always wanted to fly.  In May of 2006 my dentist-neighbor Dr. Lee referred me to Jan Steiner, a CFI out of Executive Air Taxi in Bismarck, and I began my training.  Despite what some people say about video games, my previous flight simulator experience DEFINITELY helped and my intro flight went very smooth and I was hooked.  I did most of the ground school myself with the Cessna curriculum.  The plane I trained in was a Cessna Skyhawk 172/U N62547.  It’s a sturdy but old little puddle jumper.

N62547

Information regarding my flight experience …

Flying 62547