Looking at the job board for HAA and the locations I'm interested in are IFR. I have an ATP for 20 years but have flown utility since and have about 50 hours 'IFR,' mostly simulator or under the hood. How good is the instrument training from the companies out there to help get a guy up to speed, or do they expect you to be ready to go if hired.

At least with Metro, they will ease you into it.  My training was very good.  It's what you make of it.

very good. Don't know about anybody else. You will have six months to learn the aircraft before IFR training. I suggest you fly as much IFR as possible and if they still have the mentorship program, utilize it or you will probably not pass the training.

agreed! Phi has excellent training for SPIFR. Didn't find it all that hard, just learn to be efficient with the auto pilot . Hand flying isn't hard either in the 135/145. Very stable platforms. 

Spend a year at URS in Rucker, you'll get a good education for two months and ten months to polish your skills in a structured environment. And collect $94K for your troubles.

Another Metro guy here. You will be VFR only for the first 6 months at least, just to get a feel for the aircraft and base etc... Then you'll go back down for IFR training which is really good. They will ease you into it and then back out to the base, then you'll have another 6 months with higher minimums. At my base, at least, you are not expected to go IFR if you don't feel like it, and our Lead is very good about letting you do training on your own time and he'll even go sit second seat flying actual with you until you feel comfortable with it again.

Most every IFR program will have you in the aircraft at least 6 months.  Here is the issue though - do you have any actual IFR time?   If not, go get some.  Make sure you are actually comfortable in the clouds (even though you have an ATP) before you get yourself in them for real.  

a retiree with a ton of IFR/IMC:

Planning is 95% of success

Never EVER fly IFR tired, EVER

If it looks bad, it is bad

If it's in the soup, that's insane. If you have personally trained them thoroughly, to read an approach plate, then maybe.

teach the medical crews to read, 

don't waste your time the crews will use every and excuse to avoid taking the mission and going IMC. Been there operating a S76 for a couple of NE hospitals . 

You will be expected to fly instruments with minimal spoon feeding.  I've seen a couple of folks who were sharp pilots realize very quickly that IFR was not for them despite having an instrument ticket.

does all the operators pay extra for IFR. What happens when a pilot failed an IFR check ride or training?

if you fail a 135 check ride you are grounded.     The company I was with would usually

give a pilot the chance to transfer to a vfr base if they could not hack IFr.  Struck me as odd, if you fail a 297 instrument check you are also grounded for Vfr.

At least not at PHI. You continue to fly VFR. They would bring you back at a later date for you to try again.

If you fail ANY part 135 checkride you have to pass that checkride again to fly any flight under part 135 to include VFR.  

Most companies will see that you won't pass the checkride and will stop you before you get to that point.  IF you are .297 current and you fail a portion of the 6 month ride, they can and normally will train and recheck the same day.

let the med crew do your job for you.  All it takes is one mistake then explain it.

How many bases actually go IMC on a regular basis.  When I started HAA everyone was single pilot IFR, but there were only a few bases that actually used it on a regular basis.  I would imagine with GPS approaches and such it might be a few more now, but really, is it worth it?  Probably not.

We do a good solid IFR flight at least once a week here. Spring and Fall we will go stretches of nothing but IFR flights. 

You need to have at least 50 actual for part 135 IFR ops. But if you have an ATP you should have it already. 

Quit making stuff up.  There is no requirement for actual IFR in part 135