Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Aug. 24, 2012
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of ETC, our 95%-owned subsidiary, ETC-PZL Aerospace Industries SP. Z 0.0, ("ETC-PZL"), and our 99%-owned subsidiary, Environmental Tectonics Corporation (Europe) Limited ("ETC-Europe"). The Company's corporate headquarters and main production plant are located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, USA. ETC-PZL manufactures simulators and provides software to support our domestic products. ETC-Europe functions as a sales office in the United Kingdom. All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared by ETC, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and reflect all adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. In accordance with industry practices, costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted long-term contracts are classified as current even though a portion of these amounts may not be realized within one year. Certain information in footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America has been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations and the financial results for the periods presented may not be indicative of the full year's results; however, the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 2012 fiscal year. References to 2013 second quarter are references to the thirteen week period ended August 24, 2012. References to 2012 second quarter are references to the thirteen week period ended August 26, 2011. References to 2013 first half are references to the twenty-six week period ended August 24, 2012. References to 2012 first half are references to the twenty-six week period ended August 26, 2011. References to fiscal 2013 or the 2013 fiscal year are references to the fifty-two week period ending February 22, 2013. References to fiscal 2012 or the 2012 fiscal year are references to the fifty-two week period ended February 24, 2012. Significant Accounting Policies There have been no material changes in the Company's significant accounting policies during fiscal 2013 as compared to what was previously disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 2012 fiscal year. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income. ASU 2011-05 amends the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (Codification) to allow an entity the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In both choices, an entity is required to present each component of net income along with total net income, each component of other comprehensive income along with a total for other comprehensive income, and a total amount for comprehensive income. ASU 2011-05 eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in shareholders' equity. The amendments to the Codification in ASU 2011-05 do not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income. In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-12, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05. Among the new provisions in ASU 2011-05 was a requirement for entities to present reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component in both the statement in which net income is presented and the statement in which other comprehensive income is presented (for both interim and annual financial statements); accordingly, this requirement is indefinitely deferred by ASU 2011-12 and will be further deliberated by the FASB at a future date. The Company adopted this guidance during the thirteen week period ended February 24, 2012, and chose to present other comprehensive income within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. The effect of this amended guidance has been retrospectively applied to all periods presented. In July 2012, the FASB issued ASU No. 2012-02, Intangibles˗Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment, which amends the guidance in ASC 350-30 on testing indefinite-lived intangible assets, other than goodwill, for impairment. Under ASU 2012-02, an entity testing an indefinite-lived intangible asset for impairment has the option of performing a qualitative assessment before calculating the fair value of the asset. If the entity determines, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is not more likely than not (i.e., a likelihood of more than 50 percent) impaired, the entity would not need to calculate the fair value of the asset. ASU 2012-02 does not revise the requirement to test indefinite-lived intangible assets annually for impairment. In addition, ASU 2012-02 does not amend the requirement to test these assets for impairment between annual tests if there is a change in events or circumstances; however, it does revise the examples of events and circumstances that an entity should consider in interim periods. ASU 2012-02 is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012; early adoption is permitted. The effect of this amended guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on the consolidated financial statements.

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of ETC, our 95%-owned subsidiary, ETC-PZL Aerospace Industries SP. Z 0.0, ("ETC-PZL"), and our 99%-owned subsidiary, Environmental Tectonics Corporation (Europe) Limited ("ETC-Europe"). The Company's corporate headquarters and main production plant are located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, USA. ETC-PZL manufactures simulators and provides software to support our domestic products. ETC-Europe functions as a sales office in the United Kingdom. All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared by ETC, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and reflect all adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature.

In accordance with industry practices, costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted long-term contracts are classified as current even though a portion of these amounts may not be realized within one year.

Certain information in footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America has been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations and the financial results for the periods presented may not be indicative of the full year's results; however, the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 2012 fiscal year.

References to 2013 second quarter are references to the thirteen week period ended August 24, 2012. References to 2012 second quarter are references to the thirteen week period ended August 26, 2011. References to 2013 first half are references to the twenty-six week period ended August 24, 2012. References to 2012 first half are references to the twenty-six week period ended August 26, 2011. References to fiscal 2013 or the 2013 fiscal year are references to the fifty-two week period ending February 22, 2013. References to fiscal 2012 or the 2012 fiscal year are references to the fifty-two week period ended February 24, 2012.

Significant Accounting Policies

There have been no material changes in the Company's significant accounting policies during fiscal 2013 as compared to what was previously disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 2012 fiscal year.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income. ASU 2011-05 amends the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (Codification) to allow an entity the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In both choices, an entity is required to present each component of net income along with total net income, each component of other comprehensive income along with a total for other comprehensive income, and a total amount for comprehensive income. ASU 2011-05 eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in shareholders' equity. The amendments to the Codification in ASU 2011-05 do not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income.

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-12, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05. Among the new provisions in ASU 2011-05 was a requirement for entities to present reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component in both the statement in which net income is presented and the statement in which other comprehensive income is presented (for both interim and annual financial statements); accordingly, this requirement is indefinitely deferred by ASU 2011-12 and will be further deliberated by the FASB at a future date.

The Company adopted this guidance during the thirteen week period ended February 24, 2012, and chose to present other comprehensive income within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. The effect of this amended guidance has been retrospectively applied to all periods presented.

In July 2012, the FASB issued ASU No. 2012-02, Intangibles˗Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment, which amends the guidance in ASC 350-30 on testing indefinite-lived intangible assets, other than goodwill, for impairment. Under ASU 2012-02, an entity testing an indefinite-lived intangible asset for impairment has the option of performing a qualitative assessment before calculating the fair value of the asset. If the entity determines, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is not more likely than not (i.e., a likelihood of more than 50 percent) impaired, the entity would not need to calculate the fair value of the asset. ASU 2012-02 does not revise the requirement to test indefinite-lived intangible assets annually for impairment. In addition, ASU 2012-02 does not amend the requirement to test these assets for impairment between annual tests if there is a change in events or circumstances; however, it does revise the examples of events and circumstances that an entity should consider in interim periods. ASU 2012-02 is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012; early adoption is permitted. The effect of this amended guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on the consolidated financial statements.