Bunker told the Andrews controller that he was "not picking up the glidescope," an instrument landing system that provides vertical guidance to aircraft approaching a runway. "Trooper 2, roger, uh, it's showing green on the panel but, uh, you're the only aircraft we've had in a long time, so I don't really know if it's working or not," the controller replied, according to a transcript.
The pilot then asked for an approach using Airport Surveillance Radar, which would enable the controller to use ground-based radar to provide guidance to the runway. "I don't have anybody to do that," she responded. "I'm not current on that. I can't do it."
