My view
dns
I honestly think that you are too old to be starting a career in aviation, I started at 33 and that was sometime back. You will be 40 when finished training approx. and this is a tough business and recruiters prefer younger single people who dont have family commitments and can drop everything to work another flight. The BALPA article is a good, easyjet and all airlines have dumped loads of pilots and that is the end of it for them and they are all in their 20s who got on an airline program.
Saying that if it is something that you want to do and you can afford to spend the money and not get the investment back and never get a job then it is good to have tried that and achieved that but if its all you have and you have kids dont do it!