Who told you that you were too old to go and do A-Levels? That's incorrect. I'm Scottish (where most do Highers, not A-Levels), and even here I could enrol on a private course to do English A-Levels if I wanted to, irrespective of age. Perhaps whoever you spoke to were trying to put you off for some other reason? Are your GCSE results good enough, for instance?
If money is an issue then I'd avoid doing a degree if your heart is absolutely set on flying. The loss of income and taking on of student debt will probably set you back more than the experience and education will set you forward. On top of that, a degree is a lot harder than A-Levels, and takes a lot longer, yet A-Levels would still enable you to join an integrated course or apply for a cadet programme.
Just some thoughts, hope it helps.
