John McCain's body and family will be flown out of Phoenix on Thursday afternoon on a plane usually reserved for the vice president and first lady.

The plane, most commonly recognized when it is serving as Air Force Two, is a Boeing C-32A. It is the military version of the well-known Boeing 757.

The 89th Airlift Wing, based out of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, is responsible for the aircraft as well as Air Force One. McCain's body will be flown to the base, according to a representative of the airlift wing.

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The United States has been using a fleet of eight C-32s since 1998. (This year, the administration of President Donald Trump included $6 million in the federal budget to study replacements for the aircraft.)

This specific plane has carried the body of a significant figure at least once before, according to the Air Force. In 2001, this plane transported the body of United States Marine and Central Intelligence Agency Operations Officer Johnny Michael Spann. He was the first American killed in combat during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.

The C-32A is different from a standard 757 in a few key ways.

For example, the second section of the plane is a fully enclosed stateroom that includes a changing area, private bathroom, separate entertainment system and seats that can fold into a bed.

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Another section of the plane also has its own conference area as well as areas for staff.

The cabin is divided intofour sections, with the rear of the aircraft containing the majority of the seating.

Any of the C-32s can function as Air Force Two, a designation used when carrying the vice president. Occasionally, a C-32 will even be used as Air Force One, when flying to a location where the normal aircraft used by the president — a larger Boeing 747 — can't fit.

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McCain's body and family will be flown to the base in Maryland, where the plane is expected to arrive about 7:30 p.m. local time.

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Reach the reporter at Jerod.MacDonald@RepublicMedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @JerodMacEvoy.