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Col. Robert Olds, commander of the 2nd Bomb Group, developed a "training mission" in which a flight of B-17s (the Y1B-17 was redesignated B-17 when assigned to the 2nd Bomb Group) would intercept a ship at sea to demonstrate the long-range bomber's capabilities.

Three Boeing B-17s took off from Langley Field under the command of Maj. Caleb Hayes with Lt. Curtis LeMay was lead navigator for the flight and charged with finding the liner, which was about 800 miles east of New York City and successfully intercepted the "Rex" after a four-hour flight.

The B-17s made several passes over the ship to allow for still and motion picture photography. The U.S. Navy protested that the flight was not coastal defense, but the U.S. Army made the most of the flight and heavily publicized it in news reels and newspaper stories, May 12, 1938.