VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS IN SIGNIFICANT AFFILIATES (Details)	3 Months Ended																																					3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 GBP (£)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2011 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Cash and cash equivalents [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Cash and cash equivalents [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Accounts receivable [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Accounts receivable [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Inventories [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Inventories [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Prepaid expenses and other current assets [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Prepaid expenses and other current assets [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Total current assets [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Total current assets [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Investment in unconsolidated affiliates [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Investment in unconsolidated affiliates [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Property and equipment, net [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Property and equipment, net [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Goodwill [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Goodwill [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Other assets [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Other assets [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Accounts payable [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Accounts payable [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Accrued liabilities [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Accrued liabilities [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Curent Deferred Taxes [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Curent Deferred Taxes [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Total current liabilities [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Total current liabilities [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Long-term debt, less current maturities [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Long-term debt, less current maturities [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Accrued pension liabilities [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Accrued pension liabilities [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Other liabilities and deferred credits [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited [Member] Other liabilities and deferred credits [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Ltd [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Pan African Airlines Nigeria Ltd [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Lider Aviacao Holding [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Lider Aviacao Holding [Member]
Variable Interest Entities And Other Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in Variable Interest Entity			49.00%																																			40.00%	50.17%	41.90%	42.50%
Purchase of deferred stock shares	eight million shares	eight million shares
Purchase of deferred stock value	$ 14,400,000
Principal amount of subordinated unsecured loan stock	142,700,000
Interest rate on unsecured loan	13.50%	13.50%
Deferred interest cost	1,000,000,000
Call option price held by noncontrolling interest		1,000,000
Annual guaranteed rate of return	We have accrued the annual return due to the other shareholders at a rate of sterling LIBOR plus 3% (prior to May 2004, the rate was fixed at 12%) by recognizing noncontrolling interest expense in our condensed consolidated statements of income, with a corresponding increase in noncontrolling interest on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. Prepayments of the guaranteed return element of the call option are reflected as a reduction in noncontrolling interest on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. The other investors have an option to put their shares in Bristow Aviation to us. The put option price is calculated in the same way as the call option price except that the guaranteed rate for the period to April 2004 was 10% per annum.	We have accrued the annual return due to the other shareholders at a rate of sterling LIBOR plus 3% (prior to May 2004, the rate was fixed at 12%) by recognizing noncontrolling interest expense in our condensed consolidated statements of income, with a corresponding increase in noncontrolling interest on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. Prepayments of the guaranteed return element of the call option are reflected as a reduction in noncontrolling interest on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. The other investors have an option to put their shares in Bristow Aviation to us. The put option price is calculated in the same way as the call option price except that the guaranteed rate for the period to April 2004 was 10% per annum.
Total assets			590,885,000		622,063,000	56,290,000	31,978,000	226,552,000	274,853,000	98,578,000	98,208,000	25,134,000	30,975,000	406,554,000	436,014,000	7,547,000	12,370,000	144,622,000	148,622,000	13,263,000	13,528,000	18,899,000	11,529,000
Total Liabilities			1,436,758,000		1,435,206,000																			82,957,000	109,967,000	1,092,139,000	1,049,419,000	8,752,000	9,142,000	1,183,848,000	1,168,528,000	142,743,000	154,217,000	109,792,000	111,742,000	375,000	719,000
Revenue			284,780,000	245,326,000
Operating income			3,879,000	1,872,000
Net loss			$ 35,493,000	$ 30,637,000