New Accounting Standards	3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]	Note 2. New accounting standards From time to time, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standards setting bodies issue new accounting pronouncements. Updates to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) are communicated through issuance of an Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”). In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, “Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities.” ASU 2017-12 is intended to more closely align the financial statement reporting of hedging relationships with the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities and to make certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of hedge accounting guidance in current U.S. GAAP. ASU 2017-12 is also intended to increase standardization of financial statement disclosures including requiring a tabular disclosure of the income statement effects of fair value and cash flow hedges. Woodward early adopted the new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. The application of the new guidance did not have any impact on Woodward’s current hedging arrangements or on the disclosures related to such arrangements. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, “Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost.” ASU 2017-07 requires that the service cost component of net periodic benefit costs from defined benefit and other postretirement benefit plans be included in the same statement of earnings captions as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the covered employees during the period. The other components of net benefit cost will be presented in the statement of earnings separately from service costs. ASU 2017-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017 (fiscal year 2019 for Woodward). Following adoption, only service costs will be eligible for capitalization into manufactured inventories, which should reduce diversity in practice. The amendments of ASU 2017-07 should be applied retrospectively for the presentation of the service cost component and the other components of net periodic benefit costs from defined benefit and other postretirement benefit plans in the statement of earnings and prospectively, on and after the effective date, for the capitalization of the service cost component into manufactured inventories. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of Woodward’s fiscal year 2018. Woodward will adopt the new guidance in fiscal year 2019, and expects changes to earnings before income taxes to be insignificant in the year of adoption. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, “Accounting for Income Taxes: Intra-Entity Asset Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory.” ASU 2016-16 eliminates the current U.S. GAAP exception deferring the tax effects of intercompany asset transfers (other than inventory) until the transferred asset is sold to a third party or otherwise recovered through use. After adoption of ASU 2016-16, Woodward will recognize the tax consequences of intercompany asset transfers in the buyer’s and seller’s tax jurisdictions when the transfer occurs, even though the pre-tax effects of these transactions are eliminated in consolidation. ASU 2016-16 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 (fiscal year 2019 for Woodward), including interim periods within the year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of Woodward’s fiscal year 2018. Woodward will adopt the new guidance in fiscal year 2019. Modified retrospective adoption is required with any cumulative-effect adjustment recorded to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. Woodward has not determined in which period it will adopt the new guidance. Woodward currently anticipates the adoption of ASU 2016-16 will result in balance sheet reclassifications, but based on Woodward’s current transactional activity, such adjustments are not expected to be significant. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” ASU 2016-13 adds a current expected credit loss (“CECL”) impairment model to U.S. GAAP that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Modified retrospective adoption is required with any cumulative-effect adjustment recorded to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 (fiscal year 2021 for Woodward), including interim periods within the year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (fiscal year 2020 for Woodward), including interim periods within those fiscal years. Woodward has not determined in which period it will adopt the new guidance but does not expect the application of the CECL impairment model to have a significant impact on Woodward’s allowance for uncollectible amounts for accounts receivable and notes receivable from municipalities. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” The purpose of ASU 2016-02 is to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. In addition, ASU 2016-02 modifies the definition of a lease to clarify that an arrangement contains a lease when such arrangement conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (fiscal year 2020 for Woodward), including interim periods within the year of adoption. In transition, Woodward will be required to recognize and measure leases beginning in the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach; therefore, Woodward anticipates restating its Consolidated Financial Statements for the two fiscal years prior to the year of adoption. However, during December 2017, the FASB proposed amending ASU 2016-02 such that restatement of fiscal years 2018 and 2019 would not be required upon adoption. Although early adoption is permitted, Woodward expects to adopt the new guidance in fiscal year 2020 and is currently assessing the impact this guidance may have on its Consolidated Financial Statements, including which of its existing lease arrangements will be impacted by the new guidance and whether other arrangements not currently classified as leases may become subject to the guidance of ASU 2016-02. Rent expense for all operating leases in fiscal year 2017, none of which was recognized on the balance sheet, was $8,302. As of September 30, 2017, future minimum rental payments required under operating leases, none of which were recognized on the balance sheet, were $23,215. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” and has subsequently issued several supplemental and/or clarifying ASUs (collectively “ASC 606”). ASC 606 prescribes a single common revenue standard that replaces most existing U.S. GAAP revenue recognition guidance. ASC 606 outlines a five-step model, under which Woodward will recognize revenue as performance obligations within a customer contract are satisfied. ASC 606 is intended to provide more consistent interpretation and application of the principles outlined in the standard across filers in multiple industries and within the same industries compared to current practices, which should improve comparability. Adoption of ASC 606 is required for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (fiscal year 2019 for Woodward), including interim periods within the reporting period. Woodward has determined it will elect to adopt using the cumulative effect transition method with the cumulative effect of initial adoption recognized at the date of initial application. Further, under the cumulative effect transition method, Woodward will disclose the impact of changes to financial statement line items as a result of applying ASC 606 (rather than previous U.S. GAAP) and include an explanation of the reasons for significant changes. Woodward is currently assessing the impact that the future adoption of ASC 606 may have on its Consolidated Financial Statements by analyzing its current portfolio of customer contracts, including a review of historical accounting policies and practices to identify potential differences in applying the guidance of ASC 606. Woodward is also performing a comprehensive review of its current processes and systems to determine and implement changes required to support the adoption of ASC 606 on October 1, 2018, the first day of Woodward’s fiscal year 2019. As part of this review process, Woodward is implementing new software solutions to support revenue reporting after adoption. Based on Woodward’s review of its customer contracts, Woodward has determined that revenue on the majority of its customer contracts will continue to be recognized at a point in time, generally upon shipment of products, consistent with Woodward’s current revenue recognition model. Upon adoption of ASC 606, however, Woodward also believes some of its revenues from sales of products and services to customers will be recognized over time, rather than at a point in time, due primarily to the terms of certain customer contracts. As a result of recognizing some revenue over time, various balance sheet line items will be impacted. As such, Woodward believes the adoption of ASC 606 will have an impact on both the timing of revenue recognition and various line items within the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Woodward generally expenses costs as incurred for the engineering and development of new products. Customer funding received for such engineering and development efforts is currently recognized as revenue when earned, with the corresponding costs recognized as cost of sales. ASC 606 requires customer funding of product engineering and development to be deferred and recognized as revenue as the related products are delivered to the customer. ASC 606 also requires product engineering and development costs to be capitalized as contract fulfillment costs, to the extent recoverable from the deferred customer funding, and subsequently amortized as the related products are delivered to the customer. Therefore, under ASC 606, Woodward expects to record both contract assets and contract liabilities related to such funded engineering and development efforts, which are expected to become material over time. Recognized revenues and research and development costs are both expected to decrease in the year of adoption and for at least several years thereafter, due to the recognition of these contract assets and liabilities. However, recognition of these contract assets and liabilities are expected to have an immaterial impact on pre-tax earnings in future periods. In addition, ASC 606 will require more comprehensive disclosures about revenue streams and contracts with customers, including significant judgments required. Woodward is currently implementing changes to its processes for preparing required disclosures and to information systems that support the financial reporting process. Woodward is also evaluating implications to the Company’s system of internal controls, relative to revenue recognition and the related revenue disclosures, which are based on the criteria outlined in the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s 2013 Internal Control – Integrated Framework.

Note 2. New accounting standards

From time to time, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standards setting bodies issue new accounting pronouncements. Updates to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) are communicated through issuance of an Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”).

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, “Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities.” ASU 2017-12 is intended to more closely align the financial statement reporting of hedging relationships with the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities and to make certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of hedge accounting guidance in current U.S. GAAP. ASU 2017-12 is also intended to increase standardization of financial statement disclosures including requiring a tabular disclosure of the income statement effects of fair value and cash flow hedges. Woodward early adopted the new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. The application of the new guidance did not have any impact on Woodward’s current hedging arrangements or on the disclosures related to such arrangements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, “Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost.” ASU 2017-07 requires that the service cost component of net periodic benefit costs from defined benefit and other postretirement benefit plans be included in the same statement of earnings captions as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the covered employees during the period. The other components of net benefit cost will be presented in the statement of earnings separately from service costs. ASU 2017-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017 (fiscal year 2019 for Woodward). Following adoption, only service costs will be eligible for capitalization into manufactured inventories, which should reduce diversity in practice. The amendments of ASU 2017-07 should be applied retrospectively for the presentation of the service cost component and the other components of net periodic benefit costs from defined benefit and other postretirement benefit plans in the statement of earnings and prospectively, on and after the effective date, for the capitalization of the service cost component into manufactured inventories. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of Woodward’s fiscal year 2018. Woodward will adopt the new guidance in fiscal year 2019, and expects changes to earnings before income taxes to be insignificant in the year of adoption.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, “Accounting for Income Taxes: Intra-Entity Asset Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory.” ASU 2016-16 eliminates the current U.S. GAAP exception deferring the tax effects of intercompany asset transfers (other than inventory) until the transferred asset is sold to a third party or otherwise recovered through use. After adoption of ASU 2016-16, Woodward will recognize the tax consequences of intercompany asset transfers in the buyer’s and seller’s tax jurisdictions when the transfer occurs, even though the pre-tax effects of these transactions are eliminated in consolidation. ASU 2016-16 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 (fiscal year 2019 for Woodward), including interim periods within the year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of Woodward’s fiscal year 2018. Woodward will adopt the new guidance in fiscal year 2019. Modified retrospective adoption is required with any cumulative-effect adjustment recorded to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. Woodward has not determined in which period it will adopt the new guidance. Woodward currently anticipates the adoption of ASU 2016-16 will result in balance sheet reclassifications, but based on Woodward’s current transactional activity, such adjustments are not expected to be significant.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” ASU 2016-13 adds a current expected credit loss (“CECL”) impairment model to U.S. GAAP that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Modified retrospective adoption is required with any cumulative-effect adjustment recorded to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 (fiscal year 2021 for Woodward), including interim periods within the year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (fiscal year 2020 for Woodward), including interim periods within those fiscal years. Woodward has not determined in which period it will adopt the new guidance but does not expect the application of the CECL impairment model to have a significant impact on Woodward’s allowance for uncollectible amounts for accounts receivable and notes receivable from municipalities.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” The purpose of ASU 2016-02 is to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. In addition, ASU 2016-02 modifies the definition of a lease to clarify that an arrangement contains a lease when such arrangement conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (fiscal year 2020 for Woodward), including interim periods within the year of adoption. In transition, Woodward will be required to recognize and measure leases beginning in the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach; therefore, Woodward anticipates restating its Consolidated Financial Statements for the two fiscal years prior to the year of adoption. However, during December 2017, the FASB proposed amending ASU 2016-02 such that restatement of fiscal years 2018 and 2019 would not be required upon adoption. Although early adoption is permitted, Woodward expects to adopt the new guidance in fiscal year 2020 and is currently assessing the impact this guidance may have on its Consolidated Financial Statements, including which of its existing lease arrangements will be impacted by the new guidance and whether other arrangements not currently classified as leases may become subject to the guidance of ASU 2016-02. Rent expense for all operating leases in fiscal year 2017, none of which was recognized on the balance sheet, was $8,302. As of September 30, 2017, future minimum rental payments required under operating leases, none of which were recognized on the balance sheet, were $23,215.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” and has subsequently issued several supplemental and/or clarifying ASUs (collectively “ASC 606”). ASC 606 prescribes a single common revenue standard that replaces most existing U.S. GAAP revenue recognition guidance. ASC 606 outlines a five-step model, under which Woodward will recognize revenue as performance obligations within a customer contract are satisfied. ASC 606 is intended to provide more consistent interpretation and application of the principles outlined in the standard across filers in multiple industries and within the same industries compared to current practices, which should improve comparability. Adoption of ASC 606 is required for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (fiscal year 2019 for Woodward), including interim periods within the reporting period. Woodward has determined it will elect to adopt using the cumulative effect transition method with the cumulative effect of initial adoption recognized at the date of initial application. Further, under the cumulative effect transition method, Woodward will disclose the impact of changes to financial statement line items as a result of applying ASC 606 (rather than previous U.S. GAAP) and include an explanation of the reasons for significant changes.

Woodward is currently assessing the impact that the future adoption of ASC 606 may have on its Consolidated Financial Statements by analyzing its current portfolio of customer contracts, including a review of historical accounting policies and practices to identify potential differences in applying the guidance of ASC 606. Woodward is also performing a comprehensive review of its current processes and systems to determine and implement changes required to support the adoption of ASC 606 on October 1, 2018, the first day of Woodward’s fiscal year 2019. As part of this review process, Woodward is implementing new software solutions to support revenue reporting after adoption.

Based on Woodward’s review of its customer contracts, Woodward has determined that revenue on the majority of its customer contracts will continue to be recognized at a point in time, generally upon shipment of products, consistent with Woodward’s current revenue recognition model. Upon adoption of ASC 606, however, Woodward also believes some of its revenues from sales of products and services to customers will be recognized over time, rather than at a point in time, due primarily to the terms of certain customer contracts. As a result of recognizing some revenue over time, various balance sheet line items will be impacted. As such, Woodward believes the adoption of ASC 606 will have an impact on both the timing of revenue recognition and various line items within the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Woodward generally expenses costs as incurred for the engineering and development of new products. Customer funding received for such engineering and development efforts is currently recognized as revenue when earned, with the corresponding costs recognized as cost of sales. ASC 606 requires customer funding of product engineering and development to be deferred and recognized as revenue as the related products are delivered to the customer. ASC 606 also requires product engineering and development costs to be capitalized as contract fulfillment costs, to the extent recoverable from the deferred customer funding, and subsequently amortized as the related products are delivered to the customer. Therefore, under ASC 606, Woodward expects to record both contract assets and contract liabilities related to such funded engineering and development efforts, which are expected to become material over time. Recognized revenues and research and development costs are both expected to decrease in the year of adoption and for at least several years thereafter, due to the recognition of these contract assets and liabilities. However, recognition of these contract assets and liabilities are expected to have an immaterial impact on pre-tax earnings in future periods.

In addition, ASC 606 will require more comprehensive disclosures about revenue streams and contracts with customers, including significant judgments required. Woodward is currently implementing changes to its processes for preparing required disclosures and to information systems that support the financial reporting process.

Woodward is also evaluating implications to the Company’s system of internal controls, relative to revenue recognition and the related revenue disclosures, which are based on the criteria outlined in the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s 2013 Internal Control – Integrated Framework.