In performance driving (dragstrip, track) it is not necessary, or even desirable, but on the street it's a very good idea for driveability. People who fancy themselves driving hotrod cars eliminate vacuum advance. The only Ford that came with no vacuum advance, though, was the 289 High Performance. The 390GT, 428 CobraJet, BOSS 302, BOSS 429, BOSS 351, all had vacuum advance.
What year, engine, and transmission do you have?