A former Bearskin employee named Ethan Hodgson told us that, although they are of a strange nature, these Neons were also used in other hubs for Bearskin aircraft, with Sioux Lookout in Ontario being another excellent example. He also noted that the airline had been using them since the early 2000s and that they frequently had transmission problems. When one finally gave up, the mechanics would arrange another transmission, place it in the engine compartment and send the tiny terrors back to the track.
Then why Did Bearskin use these Neons instead of suitable tugs? We are thinking that this has something to do with the size of the average bearskin flights. The regional commercial aircraft uses an aircraft model exclusively: the Fairchild Metroliner. This means that, at most, a single flight can have a maximum possible load of only 19 passengers. Why spend $ 30,000 on a tug when a cheap 90s Dodge Neon will do the job for the cost of a saw and a few blades?
“They were really fun!” Hodgson said The Drive. “I went very fast once and stretched out on a piece of ice, there I was in the apron spinning in circles with nothing to hold on to except the steering wheel. I think they implemented seat belts shortly after that.”
Unfortunately, although the Neons could tow up to two luggage carts, they were not up to the job when it came to taxing the Metroliners to the runway. Instead, Bearskin allegedly used some 1990s GMC saws to do the job, which was a significantly cheaper alternative.
But despite his strangely strong flexibility, it seems that Bearskin may be a little self-conscious of his love for Neons. A promotional video about loading cargo on its website shows a tractor carrying a skid of Coca-Cola instead of chopped savings boxes, which is disturbing because (if we’re being honest) we prefer the latter.
Or maybe it’s because you just won’t find these Neons on the taxiway anymore. Hodgson said that many, if not all, of the locations where Bearskin operates have since retired the Neons and invested in more suitable equipment.
Perhaps someone will find one somewhere in a Canadian junkyard, and when they ask what it was used for in their past life, they will be able to learn the glorious history of the Bear Skin Dodge Neons.
We have contacted Bearskin Airlines to find out more about their trusted Neons and will update this story when we have an answer.
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