Well, as a trainer I sometimes help folks with the padlock feature if they are used to such a thing from other games. Personally however, I don't use it, and I don't recommend it for advanced use. The problem with padlock IMO is that you have no physical feedback to let you know where your view is pointed so you can keep yourself oriented. If I'm pushing a view with my thumb on the hat switch, I know instantly which way I'm looking and where my plane is headed. If I let the padlock switch views for me, I find I get disoriented much easier.
If you find Padlock helps, by all means use it. Just be careful not to get target fixated or disoriented when using it. Also, I find it's easier to become reactionary in a fight using padlock, where as with manual view switching I am more pro-active, predicting what my opponent will do next. Manual view switching forces you to think ahead a bit so you will find the right view. The only trouble can be if you guess wrong and lose sight, it can be difficult to re-aquire with manual view switching.
Try the padlock out yourself. If nothing else, it's a good way to shake yourself up a bit and get out of a rut. Who knows, you might find it preferrable to manual view switching.