Navigating carefully back into the controlled airspace of the thread topic, I think the GRE PSR 295 scanner deserves an honourable mention.
Just considering Groundloop's post of 27th May re having his airband radio certified at Glasgow airport, I well remember back in the 1960's having to take my massive Shorrocks portable radio ( half the size of a picnic hamper ) into the tower at Manchester Ringway to have it tested for non-interference on airband, and duly being given a certificate to that effect. The reason at that time for insisting on testing airband Rx's that were being used on the piers at the airport was that some cheapo kits came on the market for what I think were called "super-regenerative" type sets, and they just put out "birdies" everywhere on the VHF airband. That apart though, once you had your certificate, there was no problem with using your receiver openly within the confines of Ringway. Sadly I no longer have the Shorrocks, made in Blackburn if I recall correctly.
Incidentally in days of yore many domestic portable radios did have airband as a frequency band on the analogue dial, indeed I still have for daily use a 1970's/80's "Deccasound" domestic portable which has a dedicated airband, and is true AM, not FM. it stays tuned to my local repater for "London Information", and never needs retuning. Brilliant but arguably obsolete piece of kit!
Overall I dont think we are as well-off for airband Rx's now as we were say 25 years ago.
EGCA