Engine Fire At 8000 feet Reminds Me Of Stock Trading

Engine Fire At 8000 feet Reminds Me Of Stock Trading 

BANG!!! 

"Clankety-clankety-clang-clank" and then, the eerie silence as our small Twin Otter aircraft unexpectedly rolls and shakes the 14 skydivers crammed inside. Through the small window we see a trail of smoke billowing out from the left side engine, the door side engine... And then the fire! And then the shouting! 

*Thank you to so many people who saved my life that day*

The pilot who had a plan in case an engine went out, the instructors who had trained us how to perform an emergency exit above 3000 feet, the veteran skydivers who were shouting "OUT ON YOUR MAIN, PROTECT YOUR FACE; OUT ON YOUR MAIN, PROTECT YOUR FACE" over and over again before anyone could panic. 

The door at the back of the plane flies open, and three people bail out before the door is fully open. A few people dive out immediately afterwards; I am a few back, so I have time to put on my full-faced helmet and be grateful to have it. As my friends in front of me jump out, and as I inch closer to the door, I begin to make a plan to avoid colliding with someone when my parachute opens. This is the leading cause of skydiving injuries, especially on mass exits. The purple, green and black jumpsuit in front of me dives far out under the smoke, so I quickly perform an exit that allows me to get sucked down and behind the plane as I quickly throw out my pilot chute and track to put as much distance between me and the craziness behind me. 

A few familiar rustles, a comforting pop and a gentle swing assures me my parachute opened safely and completely, and that it is time to complete my canopy procedures. My altitude is 6800 feet. I am happy to look down and count nine open, colorful parachutes and look up as four more beautiful parachutes appear. The first-time jumpers seeking an adrenaline rush certainly got their money's worth that day. Now, to plan the landing.

As I am trying to figure out where I am, where the dropzone landing area is and any safe areas close to a road, I see the lowest parachutes all heading the same direction, so I follow them. As we glide through the air, we see our plane nose down with our good friend, Heath Haley, the pilot still inside. The plane, with smoke and fire streaming behind it, careens toward the ground like you see in the WW2 movies; except this time, the plane levels off into an empty plowed farm field; then a trail of dust joins the fire and smoke as he touches down. 

A cheer fills the sky as 14 skydivers under canopy scream in elation as we see the white t-shirted figure run like hell across the field away from the plane, which becomes consumed by the fire. Everyone is safe.How in the world was everyone safe? The very same reason trained stock traders repeatedly make money in any market, we have A PLAN! 

Just like the pilot had a plan if an engine caught on fire, we had a plan for an emergency exit over 3000 feet, I had a plan if my parachute didn't open properly, I had a plan if I couldn't get to the dropzone landing area.

When trading stocks, we have plans for every trade. If I see a continuation pattern, if I see a reversal pattern, if it hits my target, if it hits my stop, I have a plan. The best stock traders say that stock trading is boring because they follow their plan no matter what happens. There is no adrenaline-filled, hopeful decision making, just follow the plan. Trading the stock market without a proven trading plan is like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, don't do it!!! 

If you want to learn to create your own stock trading plans for FREE, look for the free classes on we have many such videos. Here is an example of one.

If you want excitement, go jump out of an airplane!!! (at a licensed skydiving facility of course.)

Trade on logic, not on hope

Brad Reed

Brad@RealLifeTrading.com

* Special thanks to Heath Haley, Jason Lemley, Ilya Kats, Bali Baweja, Bryan Moffet, Todd Spillers, Scott "Douva" Lewis, Rock, Jeff Standley, Kim Standley, Theresa Davignon, Alicia Lemley, Josh Zammit, Kristina Burford, Voodoo, George Conwill, Lynn Sanders, Teresa Colaluca, Wendy Faulkner, Kevin Hawkins and so many more that saved my life over 280 times.