ORIGINAL: combatpigg
It isn't hard to clock a plane. I like to use 2 cars, 2 cell phones or walkie talkies, 1 stop watch, 2 folding chairs and 2 helpers.
Measure off a distance...528 feet is a handy one.....and station both cars at the extreme ends. The cars provide protection and a point of reference in the fore ground that the observer can use to line up with his point of reference in the background.
The 2 observers can work out the procedure that works best for them, but we have the guy at the finish line hold the stop watch and the guy at the starting point tells the other guy when to start the clock.
After doing it this way for a number of years and dozens of clockings per outing, it's amazing how CONSISTENT the clockings are. Usually within a 1/100th of a second of each other on runs that sounded the same.
Once you have established a point of reference doing it this way, then your Wavoscope or radar gun readings become supplementary.
Kewl.....
Back when pylon was growing in popularity, a bunch of guys did many versions of what you describe. My bunch did almost exactly what you mentioned only with two watches. Both timers had one. When the start guy punched his he said "start and both guys punched their watches. When the finish guy said "stop" both punched their watches. Averaging the two times made us believe we were more accurate. They often were within 1/100th.
Well, actually we didn't do it exactly. We never thought to use cars.
As for radar guns.... lol......... we didn't have them yet. And couldn't figure out how to use a Whammy without risking cutting the hoses. Or getting one from a highway cop.