Joint Venture	3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Joint Venture	Note 4. Joint venture On January 4, 2016, Woodward and General Electric Company (“GE”), acting through its GE Aviation business unit, consummated the formation of a strategic joint venture between Woodward and GE (the “JV”). The JV designs, develops and sources the fuel system for specified existing and all future GE commercial aircraft engines that produce thrust in excess of fifty thousand pounds. As part of the JV formation, Woodward contributed to the JV certain contractual rights and intellectual property applicable to the existing GE commercial aircraft engine programs within the scope of the JV. Woodward has no initial cost basis in the JV because Woodward had no cost basis in the contractual rights and intellectual property contributed to the JV. GE purchased from Woodward a 50% ownership interest in the JV for a $250,000 cash payment to Woodward. In addition, GE will pay contingent consideration to Woodward consisting of fifteen annual payments of $4,894 per year beginning January 4, 2017 subject to certain claw-back conditions. Neither Woodward nor GE contributed any tangible assets to the JV. Woodward determined that the JV formation was not the culmination of an earnings event because Woodward has significant performance obligations to support the future operations of the JV. Therefore, Woodward recorded the $250,000 consideration received from GE, in January of 2016, for its purchase of a 50% equity interest in the JV as deferred income. The $250,000 deferred income will be recognized as an increase to net sales in proportion to revenue realized on sales of applicable fuel systems within the scope of the JV in a particular period as a percentage of total revenue expected to be realized by Woodward over the estimated remaining lives of the underlying commercial aircraft engine programs assigned to the JV. Unamortized deferred income realized upon the JV formation included accrued liabilities of $6,452 as of December 31, 2016 and $6,552 as of September 30, 2016, and other liabilities of $236,791 as of December 31, 2016 and $238,187 as of September 30, 2016. Amortization of the deferred income recognized as an increase to sales was $1,496 for the three-months ended December 31, 2016. Woodward and GE jointly manage the JV and any significant decisions and/or actions of the JV require the mutual consent of both parties. Neither Woodward nor GE has a controlling financial interest in the JV, but both Woodward and GE do have the ability to significantly influence the operating and financial decisions of the JV. Therefore, Woodward is accounting for its 50% ownership interest in the JV using the equity method of accounting. The JV is a related party to Woodward. Other income includes $684 for the three-months ended December 31, 2016 related to Woodward’s equity interest in the earnings of the JV. During the three-months ended December 31, 2016, Woodward received no cash distributions from the JV. Woodward’s net investment in the JV, which is included in other assets, was $6,888 as of December 31, 2016. During the three-months ended December 31, 2016, Woodward’s net sales include $15,302 of sales to the JV and a reduction to sales of $5,403 related to royalties paid to the JV by Woodward on sales by Woodward directly to third party aftermarket customers. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, included “Accounts receivable” of $5,145 at December 31, 2016 and $5,326 at September 30, 2016 related to amounts the JV owed Woodward, and included “Accounts payable” of $5,012 at December 31, 2016 and $3,926 at September 30, 2016 related to amounts Woodward owed the JV.

Note 4. Joint venture

On January 4, 2016, Woodward and General Electric Company (“GE”), acting through its GE Aviation business unit, consummated the formation of a strategic joint venture between Woodward and GE (the “JV”). The JV designs, develops and sources the fuel system for specified existing and all future GE commercial aircraft engines that produce thrust in excess of fifty thousand pounds.

As part of the JV formation, Woodward contributed to the JV certain contractual rights and intellectual property applicable to the existing GE commercial aircraft engine programs within the scope of the JV. Woodward has no initial cost basis in the JV because Woodward had no cost basis in the contractual rights and intellectual property contributed to the JV. GE purchased from Woodward a 50% ownership interest in the JV for a $250,000 cash payment to Woodward. In addition, GE will pay contingent consideration to Woodward consisting of fifteen annual payments of $4,894 per year beginning January 4, 2017 subject to certain claw-back conditions. Neither Woodward nor GE contributed any tangible assets to the JV.

Woodward determined that the JV formation was not the culmination of an earnings event because Woodward has significant performance obligations to support the future operations of the JV. Therefore, Woodward recorded the $250,000 consideration received from GE, in January of 2016, for its purchase of a 50% equity interest in the JV as deferred income. The $250,000 deferred income will be recognized as an increase to net sales in proportion to revenue realized on sales of applicable fuel systems within the scope of the JV in a particular period as a percentage of total revenue expected to be realized by Woodward over the estimated remaining lives of the underlying commercial aircraft engine programs assigned to the JV. Unamortized deferred income realized upon the JV formation included accrued liabilities of $6,452 as of December 31, 2016 and $6,552 as of September 30, 2016, and other liabilities of $236,791 as of December 31, 2016 and $238,187 as of September 30, 2016. Amortization of the deferred income recognized as an increase to sales was $1,496 for the three-months ended December 31, 2016.

Woodward and GE jointly manage the JV and any significant decisions and/or actions of the JV require the mutual consent of both parties. Neither Woodward nor GE has a controlling financial interest in the JV, but both Woodward and GE do have the ability to significantly influence the operating and financial decisions of the JV. Therefore, Woodward is accounting for its 50% ownership interest in the JV using the equity method of accounting. The JV is a related party to Woodward. Other income includes $684 for the three-months ended December 31, 2016 related to Woodward’s equity interest in the earnings of the JV. During the three-months ended December 31, 2016, Woodward received no cash distributions from the JV. Woodward’s net investment in the JV, which is included in other assets, was $6,888 as of December 31, 2016.

During the three-months ended December 31, 2016, Woodward’s net sales include $15,302 of sales to the JV and a reduction to sales of $5,403 related to royalties paid to the JV by Woodward on sales by Woodward directly to third party aftermarket customers. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, included “Accounts receivable” of $5,145 at December 31, 2016 and $5,326 at September 30, 2016 related to amounts the JV owed Woodward, and included “Accounts payable” of $5,012 at December 31, 2016 and $3,926 at September 30, 2016 related to amounts Woodward owed the JV.