999,
hate to put a downer on your aspirations mate (and my own as I am in a similar situation) but age is a MAJOR hurdle out there in "airline hiring" world.
I'm a RAF FE and three years away from my exit at age 40. Like many of my collegues I am going through the self sponsored route to my ATPLs. Nearly all of the 40 year olds (non-pilot) who have left recently have failed to get employment in a right hand seat job (and I'm talking about people with 4000 odd hours flight deck experience here). One, a good friend of mine, was the only person on his multi IR course to get a first time pass yet is the only one of the whole group not to get employment. He went to plenty of interviews but the message was clear, "if only you were ten years younger!"
I'm sorry if this all sounds a little pessimistic but forewarned is fore-armed and all that......anyway, it isn't stopping me but I thought you might like to hear how similar aged people are fairing at the moment.