The aircraft carrier used at the end of the movie was the USS Enterprise (CV-6). The deck markings can be seen as EN on the bow and stern. A photo of the USS Enterprise (CV-6) from 1939 on Wikipedia confirms this.
While Robert Taylor plays a rookie pilot in this film, in real life he was indeed a pilot and the only one in the cast. After the U.S. entered WWII, he became a Navy pilot, served as a flight instructor, and appeared in instructional films.
The squadron is based at Naval Air Station North Island, which still exists today in San Diego, CA.
The support of the Navy for this film was an obvious statement on the preparedness of the US military, despite the strongly neutral stance of the U.S. government and the majority of the population. No doubt, what is seen in this film - including the leisurely speed of the carrier launches - was viewed with great interest by the Japanese. It should be noted that during the search and rescue operation in this film, the commander states that they were flying at 300 miles per hour at 1,000 feet. This was a bit of propaganda. In fact, the top speed of that plane was only 255 MPH at 12,000 feet.
The planes flown by the 8th squadron in this film were the Grumman F3F. The last military biplane to be produced, it was commonly known as "the flying barrel." Production ceased a year before the film was released, after a total run of only 147 planes. It was replaced by the Brewster F2A Buffalo monoplane, which itself was obsolete by the time the US entered the war in late 1941. Both types were considered to be fast and maneuverable, but were no match for what the Japanese had at the time - the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, which was introduced in 1939. The Buffalo would then be replaced in1941 by the highly successful Grumman F4F Wildcat.
The planes flown by the 8th squadron in this film were the Grumman F3F. The last military biplane to be produced, it was commonly known as "the flying barrel." Production ceased a year before the film was released, after a total run of only 147 planes. It was replaced by the Brewster F2A Buffalo monoplane, which itself was obsolete by the time the US entered the war in late 1941. Both types were considered to be fast and maneuverable, but were no match for what the Japanese had at the time - the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, which was introduced in 1939. The Buffalo would then be replaced in1941 by the highly successful Grumman F4F Wildcat.
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 24, 1941 with Robert Taylor, Ruth Hussey and Walter Pidgeon reprising their film roles.