  Here we address the old question in Aeolian particle transport about the role
of midair collisions. We find that, surprisingly, these collisions do enhance
the overall flux substantially. The effect depends strongly on restitution
coefficient and wind speed. We can explain this observation as a consequence of
a soft-bed of grains which floats above the ground and reflects the highest
flying particles. We make the unexpected observation that the flux is maximized
at an intermediate restitution coefficient of about 0.7, which is comparable to
values experimentally measured for collisions between sand grains.
