Normally on your down wind approach you are at the appropriate altitude for landing (usually 300'). Then you make a 90 degree turn and start reducing altitude then when you see the runway thresh-hold, you turn final approach and adjust you speed and glide path for touchdown. This guy had to come in hot and combined his down wind, base and final approach in one smooth descending spiral to assure he had enough speed to make the runway. He probably didn't apply flaps until he was over the runway, which is why he wanted a long runway.