Kevin M. Smith

Kevin M. Smith is an aviator, author and speaker and a recognized expert in the field of critical thinking. Captain Smith’s distinguished military career included holding the positions of squadron commander deployed in the USS Constellation, senior instructor pilot, “top gun” instructor, and recognized expert in air combat operations. Captain Smith has over four thousand hours of military flight time, mostly in supersonic front-line fighters. During his airline career Captain Smith attained captain qualifications in all modern Boeing airliners, including the ultra-modern B-777. He was a line check captain in the B-767 Fleet. Over the course of a forty-year flying career, Captain Smith accumulated more than twenty-five thousand flight hours. Assigned as the chairman of a government sponsored blue ribbon task force, Captain Smith was directly responsible for the top-down redesign of airline pilot training programs for all U.S. airline carriers. This effort represented the first successful attempt to develop targeted training programs designed to improve the critical thinking skills for airline pilots. Captain Smith is the author of the Commitment to Reason four-book series which addresses critical thinking in new and innovative ways. Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, book one is available nationally, book two is in press and will be available in the spring of 2015. A companion workbook is also in production, and books three and four will be available in 2016. Captain Smith has received numerous military awards including the prestigious Meritorious Unit Commendation recognizing his exceptional performance as squadron commander. He holds degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics, and is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Aviation Academy. Captain Smith is currently the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Aviation Systems, Operations, and Training, published by IGI-Global.

Publications

Superfunctions and the Optimization of Large-Scale Dynamic Systems
Superfunctions and the Optimization of Large-Scale Dynamic Systems
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 3 hrs 3 mins.
Optimum performance is a vital concern for any situation humans are presented with; however, as the complexity increases, such as in large-scale systems, it becomes more...
Background Information and Orientation
Background Information and Orientation
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 13 mins.
Important Definitions
Important Definitions
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 9 mins.
Theory
Theory
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 9 mins.
Optimization Theory
Optimization Theory
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 7 mins.
Principles of Optimization
Principles of Optimization
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 6 mins.
Optimization in Operation
Optimization in Operation
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 12 mins.
The Design Challenge
The Design Challenge
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 8 mins.
Key Performance Attributes of a Mission Ready Adaptive Systems
Key Performance Attributes of a Mission Ready Adaptive Systems
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 10 mins.
System Architecture
System Architecture
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 9 mins.
What are Events?
What are Events?
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 11 mins.
Understanding Events
Understanding Events
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 5 mins.
The Event Analyzer
The Event Analyzer
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 5 mins.
Cognitive Systems: : The New Intellectual Frontier
Cognitive Systems: : The New Intellectual Frontier
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 18 mins.
Situation Comprehension
Situation Comprehension
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 8 mins.
Structural Components of a Cognitive System Utilizing Superfunction Architecture
Structural Components of a Cognitive System Utilizing Superfunction Architecture
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 4 mins.
Overview of Mission Performance Aids
Overview of Mission Performance Aids
Kevin M. Smith. © 2017. 13 mins.
Intelligent Systems and the Age of the Superfunction
Intelligent Systems and the Age of the Superfunction
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 2 hrs 57 mins.
A superfunction is defined as a conceptual construct possessing higher order attributes that directly target key performance areas. Superfunctions typically integrate two or more...
Introduction to Supersystems
Introduction to Supersystems
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 26 mins.
Components of Complexity
Components of Complexity
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 5 mins.
Background Material
Background Material
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 8 mins.
Airline Pilot Training
Airline Pilot Training
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 6 mins.
The Critical Thinking Model
The Critical Thinking Model
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 17 mins.
Defining Characteristics of Large Scale Systems
Defining Characteristics of Large Scale Systems
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 10 mins.
Component System Discontinuity
Component System Discontinuity
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 3 mins.
Catastrophe
Catastrophe
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 6 mins.
Operational Decision Model
Operational Decision Model
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 11 mins.
Operational Engineering and the Superfunction
Operational Engineering and the Superfunction
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 19 mins.
Operational Analytics
Operational Analytics
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 4 mins.
The Superfunction
The Superfunction
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 8 mins.
Introducing the Kinematic Superfunction
Introducing the Kinematic Superfunction
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 15 mins.
Approach Operations
Approach Operations
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 4 mins.
Enroute Operations
Enroute Operations
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 2 mins.
Escape Kinematic Superfunction
Escape Kinematic Superfunction
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 13 mins.
Mission Performance Aid for Aerial Combat
Mission Performance Aid for Aerial Combat
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 19 pages.
This paper addresses the concepts, methods, apparatus, and tools used to establish the operational requirements and system architecture for an advanced mission performance aid...
Approach Operations and the Energy Management Challenge
Approach Operations and the Energy Management Challenge
Kevin M. Smith. © 2016. 10 pages.
This article presents vital approach energy management data that has been flight tested. This important background information may be of considerable interest to those involved...
Mission Adaptive Display Technologies and Operational Decision Making in Aviation
Mission Adaptive Display Technologies and Operational Decision Making in Aviation
Kevin M. Smith, Stéphane Larrieu. © 2015. 355 pages.
Avionics often serves as the tip of the spear for research into user-interface and systems usability in aviation. However, this emphasis on flashy, technology-driven design can...
Aerodynamic Essentials for Crew Station Design Teams
Aerodynamic Essentials for Crew Station Design Teams
Kevin M. Smith. © 2015. 20 pages.
Increasing emphasis is being placed on various aspects of flight dynamics in aviation. This includes such things as upset and stall recovery, wind shear recovery, and approach...
International Journal of Aviation Systems, Operations and Training (IJASOT)
International Journal of Aviation Systems, Operations and Training (IJASOT)
Massoud Bazargan. Est. 2014.
The International Journal of Aviation Systems, Operations and Training (IJASOT) consists of peer-reviewed technical and research papers, providing coverage of important insights...
Risk Management in Aviation: The Challenge of Discrimination
Risk Management in Aviation: The Challenge of Discrimination
Kevin M. Smith. © 2014. 9 pages.
This relatively short article will set the stage for productive discussions concerning the effective management of risk in large scale dynamic systems, for which future articles...
Report and Commentary on the Go-Around Safety Forum
Report and Commentary on the Go-Around Safety Forum
Kevin M. Smith. © 2014. 6 pages.
The principal investigator of the Go-Around Safety Forum and its report was Mr. Blajev Tzvetomir; EUROCONTROL. This report describes the background, purpose and objective of this...
The Aviation Operational Environment: Integrating a Decision-Making Paradigm, Flight Simulator Training and an Automated Cockpit Display for Aviation Safety
The Aviation Operational Environment: Integrating a Decision-Making Paradigm, Flight Simulator Training and an Automated Cockpit Display for Aviation Safety
Ronald John Lofaro, Kevin M. Smith. © 2012. 42 pages.
This chapter will focus on the role of pilot/flightcrew training and performance evaluation in the identification and management of risk, especially while aloft and in changing...
Critique and Proposed Revision of Crew Resource Management (CRM): A New Paradigm
Critique and Proposed Revision of Crew Resource Management (CRM): A New Paradigm
Ronald John Lofaro, Kevin M. Smith. © 2012. 27 pages.
It is well over 30 years since the first (then called) cockpit resource management (CRM) training, now called crew resource management was introduced. It is a shibboleth, a...
International Journal of Aviation Technology, Engineering and Management (IJATEM)
International Journal of Aviation Technology, Engineering and Management (IJATEM)
Kevin M. Smith. Est. 2011.
The International Journal of Aviation Technology, Engineering and Management (IJATEM) analyzes and discusses current developments and solutions in information technology...