AceShowbiz - Filmmaker and aviation buff Peter Jackson will be taking off from Middle Earth in style the next time he flies - the "Lord of the Rings" mastermind has purchased a new private plane. The director has reportedly spent $50 million on a Gulfstream G550, which can fly non-stop from New Zealand to Los Angeles.

The G550 can accommodate up to 16 passengers, with seats that can be converted into beds. The craft replaces Jackson's Gulfstream IV, which could only make the journey with a refueling stop in Samoa or Hawaii, reports Stuff.co.nz. Jackson collects vintage airplanes and currently has approximately 29 World War I and replica crafts in his fleet.

Beside directing "Lord of the Rings", other big screen projects Jackson has helmed include "King Kong", "Crossing the Line", and "The Lovely Bones". Meanwhile, some films he has produced such as "District 9" and forthcoming movies "Dambusters", "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" and "The Hobbit".