Approach from the North into Southampton (EGHI)
I am an ex-PPL (which will no doubt count against me on here, but bear with me).
When I fly back into Southampton (as SLF) and the runway in use is 20 if coming from the north then the routing is vaguely down the A34 (Oxford Newbury ish) but just north of EGHI there tends to be a 360 degree descending turn which I assume brings the aircraft onto the localiser.
I had a quick look at the approach plates (very quick) and could not see that this was obviously part of the procedural approach, so I just wondered why is that done, rather than earlier descent and a straight in (presumably the former is keeping the aircraft in controlled airspace) and where is that part of the approach published (or is it not?). A friend of mine says the turn is initially executed at the outer marker, I am not so sure.
Many thanks in advance for your help and apologies if this is a really dumb question!
Regards
Rob