Air Force One is among the most recognizable symbols of the American presidency. Ready to transport the president wherever in the world he needs to travel, it is part mobile command center, part office and part hotel.

President Obama talks with Senator Patrick Leahy and his wife, Marcelle Momerleau Leahy, aboard Air Force One. (White House)

John F. Kennedy was the first president to fly in a jet built specifically for presidential use in 1962. The two planes used by President Obama today — they are interchangeable, so there is always a backup — are a pair of Boeing 747-200B wide-bodied aircraft that were first used by President George H.W. Bush. The planes are equipped with everything the president needs to fulfill his office in case of an emergency.

President Obama looks out a window of Air Force One with the sons of an aide during a flight to Hawaii in 2011. (White House)

Each plane has about 370 square meters of floor space over three levels. There is a medical suite that can function as an operating room, and a doctor is always on board. The plane’s two galleys can feed 100 people at a time. A large conference room doubles as a dining area.

Aboard Air Force One, former President George W. Bush shows photos of his paintings to first lady Michelle Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama staff and Cabinet members, and Laura Bush. (White House)

There are quarters for advisers, Secret Service officers, reporters and guests. Air Force One can be refueled in midair and is equipped with advanced communications equipment.

President Obama meets with Secretary of State John Kerry, National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice and other advisers in his office aboard Air Force One. (White House)

Mechanics of the U.S. Air Force’s 89th Airlift Wing at a facility 10 miles from the White House maintain the jumbo aircraft. The planes are spotless; they get hand-waxed at least once a week inside a tightly guarded hangar.

President Obama plays with his dog Bo aboard Air Force One. (White House)

Several cargo planes typically fly ahead of Air Force One with presidential limousines, Secret Service vans and sometimes a dismantled Marine One helicopter.

President Obama boards Air Force One in North Canton, Ohio. (White House)