Originally Posted by
N1EPR
How are these things measured? From what point to what point.? Who does the record keeping?
In order to be a real world record, it needs to be registered with the
FAI. That requires registering it with the national air sports association that is affiliated with FAI, usually the Aero Club of the country of registry. There's a detailed procedure on how to document this but there's a special category for "speed over a commercial air route" which has simplified rules.
AFAIK you can use ACARS printouts for documentation under US rules, while the "standard" rules require a signed confirmation of take-off and landing time by the respective airport/ATC unit (something that can be a bit daunting to organize during a turn-around) and some proof that it's a commercial air route and not a charter (e.g. excerpt from timetable and copy load sheet). Such records get filed for the cities linked by the route, so flights to any NYC airport to any LON airport will be compete with each other.
You can of course file for records without a commercial air route and even between arbitrary non-airport points but that requires official witnesses, etc. Check the
Sporting Code for details. There's a record database at the link above, but it is not very search-friendly.
I certainly regret not having filed records for a couple of routes long since abandoned that would have been very likely to have remained unchallenged forever.
Here's a nice Flying Mag article about record setting.