Caboclo is right. Many people on FI post negative info about Key Lime Air (and other companies) without any actual firsthand knoweledge of the operation. Here's my input...
I was once a good Key Lime employee, now I'm just happy to have moved on without damaging my career...besides having to put "Key Lime" on a resume! Like most 135 operators, they will say and do just about anything to get you to fly. That's just the nature of the business though. It's a good place to be if you want to build turbine time hand flying in rough conditions with a challenging aircraft (it beats an RJ any day!). You WILL learn a lot very quickly about weather, handling management, and flying in general. Most pilots who know what a Metro is generally respect people who can fly it single pilot in hard IFR conditions.
There are a few problems with the company though. The following is a collection of Key Lime-isms from various pilots. If you decide to accept employment from KLA, be advised:
-Don't ever, EVER refuse an airplane (regardless of it's condition)...they don't like that at all. If you do refuse an airplane, you will have made "the list." You won't be off of said list until somebody else screws up equal to or worse than you did. This pretty much discribes the company culture and the mindset of management. (The beatings will continue until morale improves)
-They may tell you that they have a waiver for duty times...they don't. (Ask to see it)
-Stay on the mechanics, a few (when I was there) will "ops check good" your write-up's right there in front of you if the plane is still physically capabale of flight. Keep the write-up's coming and they will eventually fix whatever is broken. Two weeks of "ops check good" won't fly real well with inspectors. Photocopy and keep EVERY flight log. Be sure that write-ups are clearly written and visible on the copies.
-Get used to using an ice scraper on wings and tails...they de-ice only when ABSOLUTELY necessary. To be fair, the de-ice stuff is expensive and scraping ice ins't really a safety issue if you take it seriously.
-Record duty times. They will tell you it's not your responsibility...it is.
-They will try to sue you if you leave. There is a way out of the contract...that's all I'll say about it.
-"Over Gross" and "Zero Fuel Weight" mean absolutely nothing to them. If they tell you to "make it work," that means keep loading until you can't load anymore. On several occasions, I took it to mean "be legal." Needless to say, they were very unhappy with me.
-If you talk about a union, you will be fired.
-The FAA has been known to swarm the ramp when planes return to DEN for the night. Keep an eye out for Dodge Durangos. There has, on more than one occasion, been a Fed snooping around on a Saturday looking at the Metros.
-"I'm off duty" means very little to them. Expect phone calls regardless of your duty time status. I didn't think it was a big deal, but it's a dealbreaker for some pilots.
Otherwise, good luck and watch your back. Nobody else will care about you there (seriously). Most (not all) of the "lifers"/old timers think KLA is a good place to be...let them think it. Try to make QUALITY friends (most of the loud, outgoing pilots are not these "quality" friends), keep your head down, and don't screw up. Maybe you won't get a violation! By the way, the "dispatchers" seem cool and really are nice people outside of work, but they will not hesitate for a second to report you to management for even the most insignificant mistake.
KLA has, on more than one occasion, thrown a pilot/mechanic under the bus in order to gain favor with the FAA; they do it because it works. It's not a rumor, I've witnessed it. They will say it's a "self disclosure" and that it only protects the company. That's a half truth. They can also protect the pilot/mechanic but they choose not to. Talk to anyone who has been in the industry and dealt with "self disclosures."
To summerize:
KLA isn't entirely evil, it's just a low end 135 operation. You PROBABLY won't get a violation flying for the Lime, but your odds of getting caught "making it work" certainly increase. The pay is acceptable and they do provide an apartment and a car. Normally the cars run well, but they will have you take it in for repairs when you are supposed to be "off duty." The schedule blows but it is fixed and you almost always know what you're doing well in advance. Most importantly, their checks don't bounce and they pay on-time every time.
In these times, it may be the best thing you can find. If that is the case, I'm sorry and hope that you can find something better very, very soon.
Good luck!
ACP
