Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Aug. 01, 2014	Jul. 31, 2015	Aug. 01, 2014
Guarantee Obligations [Line Items]
Net Sales	$ 496,217	$ 506,309	$ 1,442,641	$ 1,503,110
Cost of Sales	326,421	329,222	963,844	976,063
Gross Profit	169,796	177,087	478,797	527,047
Expenses
Selling, general and administrative	91,968	88,884	286,366	270,051
Research, development & engineering	29,245	24,259	78,700	75,441
Restructuring charges	1,403	3,405	5,375	10,279
Other (income) expense	0	0	(12,744)	0
Total Expenses	122,616	116,548	357,697	355,771
Operating Earnings from Continuing Operations	47,180	60,539	121,100	171,276
Interest Income	(144)	(145)	(447)	(400)
Interest Expense	10,618	7,865	25,023	24,924
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt	0	533	329	533
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	36,706	52,286	96,195	146,219
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	6,405	12,403	19,097	31,415
Earnings from Continuing Operations Including Noncontrolling Interests	30,301	39,883	77,098	114,804
Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	(111)	(46)	(218)	(429)
Earnings from Continuing Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	30,190	39,837	76,880	114,375
Loss from Discontinued Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	(1,693)	(929)	(20,254)	(8,485)
Equity in Net Earnings of Consolidated Subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net Earnings Attributable to Esterline	28,497	38,908	56,626	105,890
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(990)	16,479	(107,632)	86,162
Parent Company
Guarantee Obligations [Line Items]
Net Sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of Sales	0	0	0	0
Gross Profit	0	0	0	0
Expenses
Selling, general and administrative	0	0	0	0
Research, development & engineering	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
Total Expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating Earnings from Continuing Operations	0	0	0	0
Interest Income	(3,928)	(3,837)	(11,922)	(11,588)
Interest Expense	8,790	5,777	21,991	18,350
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt	(122)	0	207	0
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	(4,740)	(1,940)	(10,276)	(6,762)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(943)	(466)	(2,052)	(1,462)
Earnings from Continuing Operations Including Noncontrolling Interests	(3,797)	(1,474)	(8,224)	(5,300)
Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	0	0	0	0
Earnings from Continuing Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	(3,797)	(1,474)	(8,224)	(5,300)
Loss from Discontinued Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	(541)	0	(1,315)	(343)
Equity in Net Earnings of Consolidated Subsidiaries	32,835	40,382	66,165	111,533
Net Earnings Attributable to Esterline	28,497	38,908	56,626	105,890
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(1,797)	15,707	(95,254)	88,374
TA Mfg. Ltd
Guarantee Obligations [Line Items]
Net Sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of Sales	0	0	0	0
Gross Profit	0	0	0	0
Expenses
Selling, general and administrative	55	0	71	0
Research, development & engineering	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
Total Expenses	55	0	71	0
Operating Earnings from Continuing Operations	(55)	0	(71)	0
Interest Income	(3,401)	0	(4,261)	0
Interest Expense	3,500	0	4,389	0
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt	0	0	0	0
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	(154)	0	(199)	0
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(31)	0	(40)	0
Earnings from Continuing Operations Including Noncontrolling Interests	(123)	0	(159)	0
Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	0	0	0	0
Earnings from Continuing Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	(123)	0	(159)	0
Loss from Discontinued Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	0	0	0	0
Equity in Net Earnings of Consolidated Subsidiaries	10,457	0	31,991	0
Net Earnings Attributable to Esterline	10,334	0	31,832	0
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	14,871	0	25,408	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Guarantee Obligations [Line Items]
Net Sales	225,105	239,134	668,970	702,424
Cost of Sales	147,206	150,139	440,583	446,042
Gross Profit	77,899	88,995	228,387	256,382
Expenses
Selling, general and administrative	38,794	33,454	113,087	107,162
Research, development & engineering	10,158	10,932	32,455	35,245
Restructuring charges	1,228	2,577	4,588	6,898
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
Total Expenses	50,180	46,963	150,130	149,305
Operating Earnings from Continuing Operations	27,719	42,032	78,257	107,077
Interest Income	(3,766)	(1,948)	(18,232)	(5,886)
Interest Expense	8,838	6,832	33,633	20,619
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt	0	0	0	0
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	22,647	37,148	62,856	92,344
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	3,678	8,449	10,625	20,686
Earnings from Continuing Operations Including Noncontrolling Interests	18,969	28,699	52,231	71,658
Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	0	0	0	0
Earnings from Continuing Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	18,969	28,699	52,231	71,658
Loss from Discontinued Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	63	(787)	(9,592)	(3,645)
Equity in Net Earnings of Consolidated Subsidiaries	27	883	140	2,117
Net Earnings Attributable to Esterline	19,059	28,795	42,779	70,130
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	19,728	26,224	43,723	68,693
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Guarantee Obligations [Line Items]
Net Sales	272,137	268,860	776,796	804,889
Cost of Sales	180,240	180,768	526,386	534,224
Gross Profit	91,897	88,092	250,410	270,665
Expenses
Selling, general and administrative	53,119	55,430	173,208	162,889
Research, development & engineering	19,087	13,327	46,245	40,196
Restructuring charges	175	828	787	3,381
Other (income) expense	0	0	(12,744)	0
Total Expenses	72,381	69,585	207,496	206,466
Operating Earnings from Continuing Operations	19,516	18,507	42,914	64,199
Interest Income	(7,597)	(13,931)	(23,485)	(42,303)
Interest Expense	8,038	14,827	22,463	45,332
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt	122	533	122	533
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	18,953	17,078	43,814	60,637
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	3,701	4,420	10,564	12,191
Earnings from Continuing Operations Including Noncontrolling Interests	15,252	12,658	33,250	48,446
Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	(111)	(46)	(218)	(429)
Earnings from Continuing Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	15,141	12,612	33,032	48,017
Loss from Discontinued Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	(1,215)	(142)	(9,347)	(4,497)
Equity in Net Earnings of Consolidated Subsidiaries	0	114	0	1,434
Net Earnings Attributable to Esterline	13,926	12,584	23,685	44,954
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(4,972)	(9,163)	(109,270)	35,471
Eliminations
Guarantee Obligations [Line Items]
Net Sales	(1,025)	(1,685)	(3,125)	(4,203)
Cost of Sales	(1,025)	(1,685)	(3,125)	(4,203)
Gross Profit	0	0	0	0
Expenses
Selling, general and administrative	0	0	0	0
Research, development & engineering	0	0	0	0
Restructuring charges	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
Total Expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating Earnings from Continuing Operations	0	0	0	0
Interest Income	18,548	19,571	57,453	59,377
Interest Expense	(18,548)	(19,571)	(57,453)	(59,377)
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt	0	0	0	0
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	0	0	0	0
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0	0	0	0
Earnings from Continuing Operations Including Noncontrolling Interests	0	0	0	0
Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	0	0	0	0
Earnings from Continuing Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	0	0	0	0
Loss from Discontinued Operations Attributable to Esterline, Net of Tax	0	0	0	0
Equity in Net Earnings of Consolidated Subsidiaries	(43,319)	(41,379)	(98,296)	(115,084)
Net Earnings Attributable to Esterline	(43,319)	(41,379)	(98,296)	(115,084)
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	$ (28,820)	$ (16,289)	$ 27,761	$ (106,376)