Negative Percentage of assumed long-term growth in revenues, used as an input to measure fair value.

No definition available.

Name:	hei_NegativeLongtermRevenueGrowthRate
Namespace Prefix:	hei_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the value of a contingent consideration liability, including, but not limited to, differences arising upon settlement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-Subparagraph (a)(1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e7008-128479

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsChangeInAmountOfContingentConsiderationLiability1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For contingent consideration arrangements recognized in connection with a business combination, this element represents an estimate of the high-end of the potential range (undiscounted) of the consideration which may be paid.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsRangeOfOutcomesValueHigh
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of liability recognized arising from contingent consideration in a business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 25

-Paragraph 6

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911189&loc=d3e6408-128476

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 35

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph b

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911338&loc=d3e6819-128478

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Interest rate used to find the present value of an amount to be paid or received in the future as an input to measure fair value. For example, but not limited to, weighted average cost of capital (WACC), cost of capital, cost of equity and cost of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (bbb)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

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

- Definition

Percentage of assumed long-term growth in revenues, used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) of financial instrument classified as a liability measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisLiabilityPeriodIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of impairment loss recognized in the period resulting from the write-down of the carrying amount of an intangible asset (excluding goodwill) to fair value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 28

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26713463&loc=d3e16373-109275

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=hei_Fy12AcquisitionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=hei_FY2013AcquisitionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=hei_LucixCorpMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=hei_ElectronicTechnologiesGroupMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Details Textuals) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Details Textuals) (USD $)	Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Contingent consideration, liability	$ 1,184,000	$ 29,310,000
Impairment of intangible assets	15,000,000	0	0
Change in value of contingent consideration	(28,126,000)	(1,640,000)	119,000
FY 2013 Acquisition [Member] \| Tranche One [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Amount of contingent purchase consideration, the company could be required to pay		20,000,000
Contingent consideration, liability		7,000,000
FY 2013 Acquisition [Member] \| Tranche Two [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Amount of contingent purchase consideration, the company could be required to pay	30,000,000
Contingent consideration, liability	1,200,000	13,700,000
Change in value of contingent consideration	12,500,000
FY12 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Amount of contingent purchase consideration, the company could be required to pay			10,600,000
Contingent consideration, liability		8,600,000
Lucix Corp [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Amount of contingent purchase consideration, the company could be required to pay		50,000,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Contingent consideration, liability	1,184,000	29,310,000
Contingent consideration related to acquisition		20,654,000
Change in value of contingent consideration	28,126,000	1,640,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| FY 2013 Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	2.60%
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| FY 2013 Acquisition [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Negative Long-term Revenue Growth Rate	7.00%
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| FY 2013 Acquisition [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Long-term Revenue Growth Rate	20.00%
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| FY12 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	3.00%
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| FY12 Acquisitions [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Negative Long-term Revenue Growth Rate	8.00%
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| FY12 Acquisitions [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Long-term Revenue Growth Rate	26.00%
Electronic Technologies Group [Member]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Impairment of intangible assets	$ 15,000,000