Working in the sand...On departure I tested to see if I could get going from stand-still in the sand. I did, although it was a little tricky, but gratifying. (If I bogged down, I had a stretch of firm ground to use instead.) The trick to this is a matter of gradually and carefully adding throttle so as to get the tail flying, at which point you add enf up elevator to keep from nosing over as the mains mush along the sand. It gets easier the faster you go, and eventually, after a light touch of the mains against the tops of some high sand crests, you're away. I really doubt you could do this without "tundra" tires, even in the lighter single-place Kolbs. (BTW, I walked my intended takeoff zone ahead of time just to get a sense for it and how much it might be cluttered with unseen tire spikes.) Moral: Big tires are a safety feature, as well as a nice ingredient for funner flying destinations.