Hi BaronG
Thanks for the advice, but...
Yes, YES! you can work under the M1 visa.
It's called the OPT (Optional Practical Training if I remember well) and is based on the time it takes you to go through training.
ie, you trained for 12 months, you can work 3, and only in your field of study, it can be renewed under some conditions.
This is one option, another would be to enroll in a cheap college under F1, do some flight training on the side and work part time as an instructor.
There are other ways, not all of them straightforwards...