The movie was filmed in the spring of 1934 on the U.S.S. Arizona, which was sunk on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor.
Being filmed in the spring of 1934, USS Macon would crash into the Pacific Ocean the following year (February 12, 1935) off Big Sur, California. Only 2 of the 76 crew members would be lost in the accident.
The airship hangar in which the USS Macon is housed is Hangar One at NAS Moffett. Hangar One is one of the world's largest freestanding structures, covering 8 acres. The hangar was constructed in 1931. Hangar One is a Naval Historical Monument, Historic American Engineering Landmark, and State of California Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks. In May 2008, The National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Hangar One on their list of America's Most Endangered Places. This hangar is still standing at the NASA Ames Research Facility in Sunnyvale, CA.
The airship in the movie, the USS Macon, holds the world record (along with her twin sister USS Akron) for biggest helium filled airship.
USS Macon was a rigid airship built and operated by the United States Navy for scouting and served as a "flying aircraft carrier", designed to carry up to five single-seat Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk biplane aircraft for scouting. One of these Sparrowhawk biplanes can be seen in the background when the crew of USS Macon is gathered prior to departure.