seems a little crass to try and avoid others' traditions by breaking one's own rules and removing hats... You could have just got on with it as we expect visitors to RAF Stations to do...
I don't know which RAF you are in but I was always taught to remove ones head dress indoors unless in Handbrake House or going into an officers office. The set of stairs (ladder) at Hasler was in neither what I would see as SHQ nor was I entering an officers office.