ALI CARTER needs to know when to go for reds on the baize and stop at reds on the runway. 

That is because the snooker star, 44, is also a qualified pilot.

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Carter is seeded ninth at the 2024 World Snooker Championships at the Crucible where he faces Stephen Maguire in the opening round.

And he will be dreaming of going one step further than he managed in 2008 and 2012, losing in the final twice to Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The rival Essex potters pair have jostled and feuded for many years – from trophy cabinet digs and Snotgate drama to rude finger gestures and petty shoulder barges. 

But Carter has the perfect way to get away from all the noise and distraction by putting his head in the clouds… literally.

The aptly-nicknamed ‘Captain’ has a licence to fly small aeroplanes.

A keen visitor of air shows as a child, his passion took off in the noughties when he met snooker fanatic and Boeing 747 commercial pilot Mike Diggins who offered to give Carter lessons in his private plane. 

The former world No2 got up to speed quickly and logged the required hours to attain his licence – and now boasts his very own Cessna aircraft, taking son Max out for special father-and-son bonding time. 

Carter told WST: “I got into flying when I lost to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the World Championships and my snooker career wasn’t going the way I wanted it to. I slipped down the rankings and there was only six tournaments at the time.

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“I was looking at an alternative career. Mike asked if I fancied going up for a little fly.

“I just went up for a few flights and before I knew it, I was doing more and more.

“I fancied doing it so went to Southend and acquired my private pilot’s licence.

“Snooker can take over your life if you’re not careful, I just loving come up here and getting away from it all, it’s a nice break. It’s a really good hobby.”

But Carter admits he could fly into a dramatic career change when he stops playing snooker professionally.

He has even toyed with the idea of joining easyJet as a pilot – and dreams one day of taking his seat in the cockpit of a jet. 

Carter added: “At the moment, snooker is very busy with so many tournaments, so many earning opportunities.

“I can obviously earn more money as a snooker player than as a pilot at present but when that reverses I’ll be turning to the skies hopefully.”

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Carter’s journey has not always been plain sailing, though.

He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2003 and became very ill.

The lifelong condition – which cricketer Jack Leach, TV star Sam Faiers and magician Dynamo all suffer from – sees parts of the digestive system become inflamed.

Crohn’s requires expert potter Carter to monitor his diet closely, especially when travelling around the world for snooker. 

However, his health took further scary twists in 2013 and then again in 2014 when he overcame both testicular and lung cancers. 

After splitting up with Max’s mum Sarah, Carter had his second child, daughter Olivia, in 2010 with The Apprentice series six winner Stella English. 

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