Dennis L. Keller

Denny began his career in the US Air Force at Reese AFB in 1976 where he graduated from pilot training in 1977. He ended his military career at Mathers AFB in California as a T-43 Aircraft Commander and Instructor Pilot before beginning a career as a commercial airline pilot. He joined the LUV family at Southwest Airlines in 1982, which at that time was undergoing expansion of flight operations beyond regional Texas flights into neighboring states.

Denny was a First Officer at the SWA Dallas crew base from 1982-1984 before promoting to Captain and serving at the Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas crew bases. In 2001 Denny became an Assistant Chief Pilot at the Phoenix Sky Harbor SWA crew base in Arizona, and served as their Chief Pilot from 2005-2007. He relocated back to Dallas Love Field in 2007 to take the helm as SWA Senior Chief Pilot until 2010.

He returned to his love of flying as a Check Airmen and Instructor Pilot in 2010. With an impressive 23,000 hours of flight Denny will deliver his final Southwest passengers on April 7, 2017 from Dallas Love Field to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. He looks forward to gradually easing into retirement by remaining active with the LUV family as a Flight Simulator Instructor at the Dallas SWA training center.

At his time of retirement from the flight line he will be SWA’s longest serving Check Airmen having contributed to thousands of check rides for multiple generations of SWA pilots. His 30-year commitment to excellence and education in flight has ensured that the airline’s high flight standards have been upheld while providing a friendly approach to enhancing his fellow pilots' training experience. His family is very proud of him, and all his many professional accomplishments in aviation. We are excited to be celebrating the next phase of his life, and wish him all the best in the years to come!