UPDATE: taking the plunge. F-150 spark plug change
Original link here for any who are interested. I started today at 11 am (Sat.). It is now 3 pm and I don't have one plug out yet. After removing a few things for easier access and gathering tools ...
This site has a nice simple diagram showing how the plugs sit in the heads. Those long noses on the plugs sit in tight bores and seize in place. That should have been obvious to any decent engineer when they designed it.