Yes you can unplug it, thats what I did for my nexstar. I had heard someone say that after their takeoff their plane headed right for the sun, and I realized that eventually I would need to learn to fly without it so I did the best thing I thought I could do, never use it and never develop a bad habbit. I flu 1 or 2 flights with an instructer and 2 weeks later and probaly 25 flights I am loving it.

steve