Yup, don't get me wrong here, I'm perfectly capable of taking them off and have done many times.
The issue is with the UK CAA rules, which heavily limit what pilots can do in the UK.
Would I take them off if I wanted to: of course. Am I allowed to? That's what I'm asking as I'm not sure it's permitted on a hired a/c unless done by a licensed engineer.
Sounds crazy, but that's uk flying...
BW