emsgoof
I think Johe02 has got it right, from my limited experience anyway. It can very much depend on whether the airfield has much experience handling helicopters.
Flown into Blackpool, which has 2 helicopter schools there I think, and been told to come in low below circuit height and wait at the southern holding point, usually for a regional to take off, and then cross the main runway to the ramp etc etc.
Been into a few of the smaller airfield with no helicopter operations there at all (when you do land it causes a bit of a stir and some general mickey taking
) and been told to join at ****ft downwind for ** etc. Sometimes you can restate you are a helicopter and could you approach low level and hold north/east/south/west of the active runway. You sometimes get to, others times not.
NigD3