Patent ID: 8256703

Claim:
A ground maintenance assembly for an aircraft having at least a pitot tube on opposed sides of a fuselage above a front landing gear having a retracting linkage immobilized by insertion of a locking pin into a locking aperture thereon, said maintenance assembly comprising: a pitot tube cover for telescopic insertion over each pitot tube; an expandable tether assembly having opposed elongated straps, each having a distal end connected to one of said pitot tube covers, said tether assembly having a sleeve member with a passage therein, wherein one of said straps has a proximal end fixedly connected to said sleeve member and wherein the other strap has a proximal end connected to first end of an elastic member carried in said passage, said elastic member having a second end connected to said sleeve member whereby the length of the tether assembly is less than the distance about the fuselage between the pitot tubes and in assembly the elastic member is stretched to provide a biasing of the tether assembly against the fuselage; and a connecting strap having a first end attached to said tether assembly and a second end connected to said locking pin, said connecting strap having sufficient length in assembly to enable insertion of said locking pin in said locking aperture.