To the older dreamers out there 40+, of which I am one, I would advise you to be very careful if you are thinking of undertaking fATPL/CPL training, because the chances of you gaining any type of flying job apart from instructing is almost zero. I understand how much you want to be a pilot because I also want it badly but after much careful consideration I have have decided that the most rational thing to do is to give up on the dream and deal with it and move on, it is easy to get seduced by the dream and think that some older guys get airline jobs, its tough enough for the younger guys and your life experience counts for nothing, the only previous experience that helps is to have a good degree or qualification, what matters is competencies relevant to flying, which as a older guy you may have but so do the younger guys, and you are not as quick a learner as your younger self even if you dont want to admit that to yourself, the brain goes into decline from the mid twenties. I know myself that I am not as sharp anymore.
So if I was to follow the dream, what would happen is that I would spend a lot of cash, eventually get my fATPL and 200 hours, then I would have maybe a 2 percent chance of getting a flying job, I would then maybe be able to apply for instructor jobs, but is that what we really dream of? no its not. And an extra risk is that if any hiring downturn happens before you finish training you emerge into a quiet hiring market and because of your age you can't afford to wait for the market to turn up again, unlike the younger guys, its all risk and most likely no reward.
I missed a few opportunities in my life to try become a pilot for various reasons. The desire to fly is very strong but sometimes you just have to move on and admit to yourself that it is not realistic anymore, even the 35 year old people are just at the realistic upper age limit to have any real chance, if you are early forties or older then you are way down on the bell curve of hire-ability, it can be difficult to admit to yourself that you have missed the boat. Its not that there is no chance of a good flying job, its that its so unlikely that the risk reward is not worth it unless you are rich and wont miss the money. you might think that some regional turboprop operation would be glad to have an older guy, but there is a queue of younger guys trying to get those positions, ryanair dont take every young guy on the market even in the current hiring boom. So many people walk away with a very expensive piece of paper and get nothing from it.
those are my thoughts on the matter.