Sliceback

When did you retire?
How much time do you have since then?
How many years of that were you a professional pilot?
How much in the last year? Three years?
How much of that time was RJ or larger?

It can be painful to go the RJ route. You said you're happy at your current gig. That's not a bad fall back if the King Air time doesn't get your hired. Can you find a left seat RJ CA gig? Are leave of absencies from your current job available? If you quit is it easy to get back into your current job/profession?

IMO your military resume is ten (?) years old so it might be considered compeltely stale. "Stale" was mentioned when guys hadn't flown for months post retirement. IMO part of what you're fighting is how much 'staleness' your resume might have (last 1, 5, 10 year?)

Can you do UAV work part time? That wouldn't impact 117 legalities and might make the RJ pill easier to swallow.

Lots of things to chew on.

CODs4ever

Reserve retired in 2012. However, I left active duty in 2004. Flew the jungle jet at American Eagle for a year in 2004-2005 then left as I couldn't afford to stay. Got a type back in 2003 and I finally interviewed at SWA in 2006...but no dice. Since then I have not flown manned aircraft as a full-timer. Just a full-time UAV pilot and part time flight instructor all along (Cessnas/Pipers) and for the last 2 months part time King Air pilot. Really can't afford to "chase the dream" by taking a lower paying gig on the hopes that a major/legacy will call. So I will fly King Airs until when (and if) a major or legacy calls, since those are the only places where I could be back at my current salary in a matter of 2-3 years.

If my plan sounds a little inflexible, that's because it is. I just can't afford to go back to a regional again unless I would be getting CA pay from the start, and even then I'd be taking a 50% haircut. The pay issue is a slap in the face to all pilots. While most of my total hours are dated, if I was leaving active duty today with these same hours, I expect that I would have already been invited to interview at a few places based on what I have been reading here about "who's been hired, etc."

Worst case, I end up sticking it out as well-paid UAV pilot and flying the KA on the side for fun and extra money.

Alfred E Newman

JetBlue wants 200 hours (not including sims) in the last 12 months. When they did my phone screen and had me take out my sim time I just squeaked by. I think not breaking the 200 would have ended the phone screen right there. If you can hustle 20 a month in the King Air, that should do it. Rest of your quals look fine.

hindsight2020

Dude, I don't know why you keep apologizing for your position. If more people approached the economics of this profession they way you are, the industry would be a hell of a lot better off for everyone. Cue the "you're being short sighted maaannn, it's only a couple years making food stamp wages bruh...." cheap seats advice. Of course they'll also chastise you for not having an HR-sanctioned answer to explaining having to quit your regional job for a second time citing unapologetic economic insolvency if the major/LCC pickup doesn't happen for ya before your family situation fractures. The reality of the matter is a lot of pilots are either insensitive or incapable of grasping the economic concept of a pyrrhic victory.

As long as you are at peace with your QOL and your home is integral, you're ahead. Ultimately, it is indicative that you recognize that although the potential for a lucrative living does exists in certain combinations of the profession, being an airline pilot is not central to your happiness. I totally relate to that. Good luck to ya.

CODs4ever

I am with you 100%. Thanks for the support. I have another friend (retired USMC C-130 pilot) who worked in petroleum management for about 4 years after retiring from the Marines. He got laid off recently when oil prices took a nose dive. So he went to Compass to get current and is joining the hordes trying to get on at a major/legacy/LCC. He told me he has enough $$ saved to support his family for exactly one year at Compass in hopes of getting hired on somewhere better. If it doesn't happen in that year, he's out. Kind of reminds me of my situation in 2004/2005 with American Eagle.