Ex-traffic reporter
‘Capt. Irwin’ enjoying
life in Las Vegas

Question: What ever happened to helicopter traffic reporter "Capt. Irwin" Malzman?

Answer: "I'm totally retired," he said from his home in Las Vegas. "I managed to save a few dollars while I was working -- and the stock market was very good to me, before the big crash."

"I left Hawaii in 1996, went to California and flew part time for the Gallo Winery out of Modesto doing executive transport," he said.

"I came back to Hawaii in 1999 and stayed for a year. I was going to work on Kauai, but it didn't work out," he said.

Malzman was also an aerial photographer and sold the rights to a shot of the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri. "They've been using it on a postcard for 15 years, probably."

Malzman moved to Las Vegas in October 2000 and flew for a real estate developer for a brief period but then retired.

Since his decades in Hawaii, he has successfully battled cancer and has traveled to Asia, South Africa and, most recently, England.

Malzman began his broadcast career as the helicopter pilot for K59 (now known as KSSK) radio personality and traffic reporter Jerry "Kim Chee" Cox in 1972. Later that year, Malzman assumed both roles in the mornings at the behest of top-rated morning man Hal "Aku" Lewis.

After 16 years of reporting on traffic for KSSK, the station notified him in 1984 that his contract would not be renewed.

About six months later, he was approached by the state Department of Transportation and public relations firm McNeil Wilson Communications Inc. to provide the same service to not one, but dozens of radio stations. His reports were provided to the stations in exchange for air time for public service announcements.

"It was a good tradeoff for everybody at the time," said state transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa.

The state paid Malzman roughly $200,000 a year.

"That sounds like a lot of money, but I had to pay to operate the helicopter," he said.

His costs included maintenance and insurance.

The deal ended in 1995, with transportation officials blaming the radio stations for failing to air the reports in a timely manner, negating their usefulness. Malzman said he believes he upset someone and lost the support of then-Gov. John Waihee.

Malzman returns to the islands at least once a year to see his mother, Lillian.

"She's still my biggest fan," he said with a laugh.

Tomorrow is his 60th birthday.

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