It has become a lot easier for prospective aircraft buyers to go shopping since the market was discovered by the Internet industry. With merchandise at widely scattered locations, shopping via desktop computer obviously saves time and money.

“When we founded Aircraft Shopper Online (ASO) in 1995, many people had the impression that Web sites were electronic piggy banks where you created fancy gizmos, sat back and watched the millions roll in,” said ASO president Tony Friend Tuesday at ASO’s press conference. “Sounded too good to be true? It was.”

Through creative marketing, Friend said that ASO has helped bring about a fundamental change in the ways that used aircraft are bought and sold. The company announced its latest innovation yesterday. It’s called PhotoZOOM, and it enables shoppers to manipulate photographs of advertised aircraft and view any element in fine detail.

The process lets buyers see close-up views of components such as control panels and interior appointments. A viewer can zoom in on leather texture, woodwork, gauge and dial placement and other elements without losing resolution or waiting for photos to reload. Five levels of magnification are provided, enabling images to be enlarged as much as eight times.

The feature also offers advantages over video and 360-deg views because it eliminates the need for special photography, requires no plug-ins and provides a high level of detail. The PhotoZOOM, which will be introduced in November, will be included with all turbine listings at no additional charge to advertisers, and on non-turbine equipment for a modest fee.

For the third year, ASO is sponsoring the Internet Café at NBAA Booth No. 617, where 20 demonstration computers are set up for attendees to use.

Listings on ASO are running about 50/50 between turbine and piston equipment. According to the company, about 3,200 aircraft are listed.