Represents the expense recognized during the period arising from equity-based compensation arrangements (for example, shares of stock, unit, stock options or other equity instruments) with employees, directors and certain consultants qualifying for treatment as employees.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 14.F)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27013229&loc=d3e301413-122809

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5047-113901

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of vesting of share-based compensation awards.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingRightsPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period from grant date that an equity-based award expires, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardExpirationPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=avav_Fiscal2018LtipMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VestingAxis=avav_ShareBasedCompensationAwardOneHundredPercentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VestingAxis=avav_ShareBasedCompensationAwardFiftyPercentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VestingAxis=avav_ShareBasedCompensationAwardTwoHundredPercentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=avav_Fiscal2017LtipMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=avav_Fiscal2016LtipMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Long-Term Incentive Awards (Details) - Performance based restricted stock units - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017	Apr. 30, 2016
Fiscal 2018 LTIP
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Exercisable period from grant date	3 years
Stock based compensation expense	$ 0
Fiscal 2018 LTIP \| 100% Vested
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Vesting (as a percentage)	100.00%
Fiscal 2018 LTIP \| 50% Vested
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Vesting (as a percentage)	50.00%
Fiscal 2018 LTIP \| 200% Vested
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Vesting (as a percentage)	200.00%
Fiscal 2018 LTIP \| Maximum
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Stock based compensation expense	$ 2,850,000
Fiscal 2017 LTIP
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Exercisable period from grant date	3 years
Stock based compensation expense	$ 0
Fiscal 2017 LTIP \| 100% Vested
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Vesting (as a percentage)	100.00%
Fiscal 2017 LTIP \| 50% Vested
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Vesting (as a percentage)	50.00%
Fiscal 2017 LTIP \| 200% Vested
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Vesting (as a percentage)	200.00%
Fiscal 2017 LTIP \| Maximum
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Stock based compensation expense	$ 2,630,000
Fiscal 2016 LTIP
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Exercisable period from grant date		3 years
Performance period		3 years
Stock based compensation expense	0
Fiscal 2016 LTIP \| Maximum
Long-Term Incentive Awards
Stock based compensation expense	$ 2,690,000