After reading the article (and taking what was reported as factual -- something that goes against my anti-media bias), I'm not so quick to judge the man harshly.
1. All pilots require a certain amount of flying hours periodically to keep their licenses current. If he failed to fly enough hours, it would impact him severely if he loses the next election, as his job as a pilot would take time, money and effort to be reinstated.
2. The cost involved in "commuting" between HI and DC is extremely expensive, even when compared to CA or other West Coast states. The hours and dollars spent to go between home and work, and having to have a place to live when at work, isn't something all Congress critters have to contend with. Whether this comes out of his pocket or through reimbursed travel expenses (i.e. tax payer funds), it's still a factor.
3. If everything he's doing is completely allowed under the rules, then there's no reason to pretend like he's doing anything wrong. Even though some rules don't often make sense, the ones in the article seem reasonable.
I have a feeling he only wanted this position in order to fluff up his resume for his planned governor's campaign. He might not be seeking reelection to his DC job, so this whole issue may be moot. I can see opponents using this as a talking point to smear him, but none of this matters a hill of beans compared to all the real problems we are facing.
We already know Congress types start campaigning for reelection the day after they win their current term. I'd rather see them taking time off to support their state's local economy than fundraising twice a month in states other than the one they represent.
JMHO.