I've seen everything from gate-checks on the carousel to a special pickup counter to leaving the bag on the tarmac covered in ice, with standard commercial airframes. It depends on airline policy and available airport infrastructure.

And thats why i brought up Sansa. I flew into here.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quepos_La_Managua_Airport#/m...

https://www.vacationscostarica.com/_next/image/?url=https%3A...

But that has more to do with the realities of the plane and the airport infrastructure like you said. It’s not about airline policy with regards to checked bags vs non checked bags.

On that plane, they not only weigh your bags, they weigh the passenger to make sure the plane isn’t over the weight limit.