"On this thread the overwhelming view is "don't do it, you'll never get a job, even youngsters all struggle for years and years". But that isn't what I see when I look at my friends who have made the transition."
That is a very naive thought by you here, there are Thousands with that little blue book, who can not get a job.
I know guys who finished their training over 6 years ago, still renewing their IR every year, working in Ops., Cabin Crew still searching for their first jobs.
What I do not understand, if you have these 4 examples, why do you bother to come on these forums to ask for advice, when of course you are looking for a specific answer.
It's not impossible, that's true, but you will join thousands of others without a experience looking for a job, and your age experience is not a positive when it comes to recruitment.