It used to happen quite often at AMS on the southerlies. We're be coming in B757/767 right downwind. The platform is 2000' and it's very flat terrain. Technically MSA was 1700'. There would be a B747 lumbering in on left base for an 8nm finals. ATC would ask if we could accept a short finals and clear us to 1200' and LOC-GS intercept at just under 4nm to avoid a lengthy circuit. No bother; just a question of configuring and speed control to get down. We even did it IMC >CAT 1.