Joint Venture	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
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”) to design, develop and source fuel systems 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 had 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 which began on January 4, 2017 subject to certain claw-back conditions. Woodward received its first annual payment of $4,894 during the three-months ended March 31, 2017, which was recorded as deferred income and is included in Net cash provided by operating activities under the caption “Other” on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, for the nine-months ended June 30, 2017. 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 recorded in connection with the JV formation included accrued liabilities of $6,252 as of June 30, 2017 and $6,552 as of September 30, 2016, and other liabilities of $238,866 as of June 30, 2017 and $238,187 as of September 30, 2016. Amortization of the deferred income recognized as an increase to sales was $1,387 for the three months and $4,515 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2017, and $1,733 for the three months and $3,695 for the nine-months ended June 30, 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 a loss of $432 for the three months and income of $634 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2017, and income of $2,728 for the three months and $4,886 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2016 related to Woodward’s equity interest in the earnings of the JV. During the nine-months ended June 30, 2017, Woodward received a $2,500 cash distribution from the JV which is included in Net cash provided by operating activities under the caption “Other” on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Woodward received no cash distributions from the JV in the nine-months ended June 30, 2016. Woodward’s net investment in the JV, which is included in other assets, was $4,338 as of June 30, 2017 and $6,204 as of September 30, 2016. Woodward’s net sales include $18,645 for the three months and $52,362 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2017 of sales to the JV, compared to $15,136 for the three months and $30,151 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2016. Woodward recorded a reduction to sales of $6,163 for the three months and $17,240 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2017 related to royalties paid to the JV by Woodward on sales by Woodward directly to third party aftermarket customers, compared to $7,643 for the three months and $14,659 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2016. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets include “Accounts receivable” of $9,554 at June 30, 2017, and $5,326 at September 30, 2016 related to amounts the JV owed Woodward, and include “Accounts payable” of $2,740 at June 30, 2017, 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”) to design, develop and source fuel systems 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 had 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 which began on January 4, 2017 subject to certain claw-back conditions. Woodward received its first annual payment of $4,894 during the three-months ended March 31, 2017, which was recorded as deferred income and is included in Net cash provided by operating activities under the caption “Other” on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, for the nine-months ended June 30, 2017. 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 recorded in connection with the JV formation included accrued liabilities of $6,252 as of June 30, 2017 and $6,552 as of September 30, 2016, and other liabilities of $238,866 as of June 30, 2017 and $238,187 as of September 30, 2016. Amortization of the deferred income recognized as an increase to sales was $1,387 for the three months and $4,515 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2017, and $1,733 for the three months and $3,695 for the nine-months ended June 30, 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 a loss of $432 for the three months and income of $634 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2017, and income of $2,728 for the three months and $4,886 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2016 related to Woodward’s equity interest in the earnings of the JV. During the nine-months ended June 30, 2017, Woodward received a $2,500 cash distribution from the JV which is included in Net cash provided by operating activities under the caption “Other” on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Woodward received no cash distributions from the JV in the nine-months ended June 30, 2016. Woodward’s net investment in the JV, which is included in other assets, was $4,338 as of June 30, 2017 and $6,204 as of September 30, 2016.

Woodward’s net sales include $18,645 for the three months and $52,362 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2017 of sales to the JV, compared to $15,136 for the three months and $30,151 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2016. Woodward recorded a reduction to sales of $6,163 for the three months and $17,240 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2017 related to royalties paid to the JV by Woodward on sales by Woodward directly to third party aftermarket customers, compared to $7,643 for the three months and $14,659 for the nine-months ended June 30, 2016. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets include “Accounts receivable” of $9,554 at June 30, 2017, and $5,326 at September 30, 2016 related to amounts the JV owed Woodward, and include “Accounts payable” of $2,740 at June 30, 2017, and $3,926 at September 30, 2016 related to amounts Woodward owed the JV.