Consolidating Financial Information - Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $)
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents $ 5,097,000 $ 1,881,000 $ 1,468,000 $ 268,000
Restricted cash 567,000 2,883,000    
Accounts receivable, net 44,350,000 65,987,000    
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 8,780,000 3,360,000    
Income tax receivable 677,000 135,000    
Deferred tax assets 1,230,000 3,715,000    
Total current assets 60,701,000 77,961,000    
Aircraft support parts, net 137,593,000 126,696,000    
Aircraft, net 128,221,000 127,179,000    
Property, plant and equipment, net 120,635,000 109,382,000    
Goodwill 215,241,000 234,978,000    
Other intangible assets, net 20,053,000 22,484,000    
Other non-current assets 23,077,000 28,625,000    
Total assets 705,521,000 727,305,000    
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable 19,844,000 29,035,000    
Current portion of long-term debt 4,144,000 0    
Accrued and other current liabilities 19,034,000 41,233,000    
Income tax payable 315,000 621,000    
Deferred tax liabilities 884,000 0    
Total current liabilities 44,221,000 70,889,000    
Long-term debt, less current portion 12,751,000 16,160,000    
Long-term revolving credit facilities 89,339,000 68,086,000    
Long-term notes payable 355,000,000 355,000,000    
Other long-term liabilities 13,181,000 1,819,000    
Uncertain tax positions 6,313,000 5,669,000    
Deferred tax liabilities 3,703,000 16,775,000    
Total liabilities 524,508,000 534,398,000    
Stockholders’ equity (deficit):        
Common stock 1,000 1,000    
Additional paid-in capital 181,018,000 179,954,000    
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) 1,812,000 12,104,000    
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (2,544,000) (42,000)    
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Erickson Incorporated 180,287,000 192,017,000    
Noncontrolling interest 726,000 890,000    
Total stockholders’ equity 181,013,000 192,907,000 105,368,000 (9,145,000)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity 705,521,000 727,305,000    
Parent Company        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents 7,000 576,000 41,000 2,000
Restricted cash 136,000 151,000    
Accounts receivable, net 13,117,000 17,290,000    
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 6,506,000 1,878,000    
Income tax receivable 320,000 70,000    
Deferred tax assets 1,440,000 3,372,000    
Total current assets 21,526,000 23,337,000    
Aircraft support parts, net 106,721,000 93,719,000    
Aircraft, net 82,799,000 88,242,000    
Property, plant and equipment, net 70,732,000 70,145,000    
Goodwill 0 0    
Other intangible assets, net 2,205,000 2,205,000    
Other non-current assets 323,332,000 325,768,000    
Total assets 607,315,000 603,416,000    
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable 6,021,000 8,179,000    
Current portion of long-term debt 4,144,000      
Accrued and other current liabilities (54,577,000) (48,899,000)    
Income tax payable (397,000) 0    
Deferred tax liabilities 884,000      
Total current liabilities (43,925,000) (40,720,000)    
Long-term debt, less current portion 12,751,000 16,160,000    
Long-term revolving credit facilities 89,339,000 68,086,000    
Long-term notes payable 355,000,000 355,000,000    
Other long-term liabilities 12,410,000 1,756,000    
Uncertain tax positions 6,313,000 5,669,000    
Deferred tax liabilities 5,061,000 16,745,000    
Total liabilities 436,949,000 422,696,000    
Stockholders’ equity (deficit):        
Common stock 1,000 1,000    
Additional paid-in capital 181,018,000 179,954,000    
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (8,993,000) 806,000    
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (1,660,000) (41,000)    
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Erickson Incorporated 170,366,000 180,720,000    
Noncontrolling interest 0 0    
Total stockholders’ equity 170,366,000 180,720,000    
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity 607,315,000 603,416,000    
Guarantor Subsidiaries        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents 274,000 (12,000) 0 0
Restricted cash 0 364,000    
Accounts receivable, net 26,199,000 40,560,000    
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1,171,000 582,000    
Income tax receivable 0 0    
Deferred tax assets 0 0    
Total current assets 27,644,000 41,494,000    
Aircraft support parts, net 30,482,000 33,022,000    
Aircraft, net 42,405,000 35,236,000    
Property, plant and equipment, net 47,762,000 37,825,000    
Goodwill 210,356,000 231,626,000    
Other intangible assets, net 15,726,000 17,870,000    
Other non-current assets 4,337,000 7,133,000    
Total assets 378,712,000 404,206,000    
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable 11,465,000 17,889,000    
Current portion of long-term debt 0      
Accrued and other current liabilities 49,166,000 66,513,000    
Income tax payable 0 0    
Deferred tax liabilities 0      
Total current liabilities 60,631,000 84,402,000    
Long-term debt, less current portion 0 0    
Long-term revolving credit facilities 0 0    
Long-term notes payable 0 0    
Other long-term liabilities 708,000 0    
Uncertain tax positions 0 0    
Deferred tax liabilities 0 0    
Total liabilities 61,339,000 84,402,000    
Stockholders’ equity (deficit):        
Common stock 0 0    
Additional paid-in capital 297,994,000 297,994,000    
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) 19,379,000 21,810,000    
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 0 0    
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Erickson Incorporated 317,373,000 319,804,000    
Noncontrolling interest 0 0    
Total stockholders’ equity 317,373,000 319,804,000    
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity 378,712,000 404,206,000    
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents 4,816,000 1,317,000 1,427,000 266,000
Restricted cash 431,000 2,368,000    
Accounts receivable, net 4,990,000 8,024,000    
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1,103,000 900,000    
Income tax receivable 335,000 65,000    
Deferred tax assets (210,000) 343,000    
Total current assets 11,465,000 13,017,000    
Aircraft support parts, net 435,000 0    
Aircraft, net 3,017,000 3,701,000    
Property, plant and equipment, net 2,141,000 1,412,000    
Goodwill 5,647,000 4,114,000    
Other intangible assets, net 2,122,000 2,409,000    
Other non-current assets 501,000 816,000    
Total assets 25,328,000 25,469,000    
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable 2,358,000 2,967,000    
Current portion of long-term debt 0      
Accrued and other current liabilities 24,998,000 23,592,000    
Income tax payable 137,000 621,000    
Deferred tax liabilities 0      
Total current liabilities 27,493,000 27,180,000    
Long-term debt, less current portion 0 0    
Long-term revolving credit facilities 0 0    
Long-term notes payable 0 0    
Other long-term liabilities 63,000 63,000    
Uncertain tax positions 0 0    
Deferred tax liabilities (1,358,000) 30,000    
Total liabilities 26,198,000 27,273,000    
Stockholders’ equity (deficit):        
Common stock 1,675,000 1,674,000    
Additional paid-in capital 33,000 33,000    
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (3,171,000) (5,142,000)    
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (41,000) 997,000    
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Erickson Incorporated (1,504,000) (2,438,000)    
Noncontrolling interest 634,000 634,000    
Total stockholders’ equity (870,000) (1,804,000)    
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity 25,328,000 25,469,000    
Consolidating Entries and Eliminations        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents 0 0 0 0
Restricted cash 0 0    
Accounts receivable, net 44,000 113,000    
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 0 0    
Income tax receivable 22,000 0    
Deferred tax assets 0 0    
Total current assets 66,000 113,000    
Aircraft support parts, net (45,000) (45,000)    
Aircraft, net 0 0    
Property, plant and equipment, net 0 0    
Goodwill (762,000) (762,000)    
Other intangible assets, net 0 0    
Other non-current assets (305,093,000) (305,092,000)    
Total assets (305,834,000) (305,786,000)    
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable 0 0    
Current portion of long-term debt 0      
Accrued and other current liabilities (553,000) 27,000    
Income tax payable 575,000 0    
Deferred tax liabilities         
Total current liabilities 22,000 27,000    
Long-term debt, less current portion 0 0    
Long-term revolving credit facilities 0 0    
Long-term notes payable 0 0    
Other long-term liabilities 0 0    
Uncertain tax positions 0 0    
Deferred tax liabilities 0 0    
Total liabilities 22,000 27,000    
Stockholders’ equity (deficit):        
Common stock (1,675,000) (1,674,000)    
Additional paid-in capital (298,027,000) (298,027,000)    
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (5,403,000) (5,370,000)    
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (843,000) (998,000)    
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Erickson Incorporated (305,948,000) (306,069,000)    
Noncontrolling interest 92,000 256,000    
Total stockholders’ equity (305,856,000) (305,813,000)    
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ (305,834,000) $ (305,786,000)