Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES AND EQUITY INVESTMENTS AND ADVANCES Aeroleo Narrative (Details)

v2.4.1.9
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES AND EQUITY INVESTMENTS AND ADVANCES Aeroleo Narrative (Details) (USD $)
0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Mar. 02, 2012
Jul. 01, 2011
Dec. 31, 2014
helicopter
Dec. 31, 2013
helicopter
Dec. 31, 2012
helicopter
Jul. 01, 2011
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Voting ownership percentage     50.00%era_EquityMethodInvestmentVotingOwnershipPercentage      
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments     125,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments 0us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments $ 10,627,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments  
Recognized impairment charge     0us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOtherThanTemporaryImpairment 0us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOtherThanTemporaryImpairment    
Era do Brazil [Member]            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Ownership   50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_EradoBrazilMember
50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_EradoBrazilMember
[1]     50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_EradoBrazilMember
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments   4,800,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_EradoBrazilMember
       
Era do Brazil [Member] | Equity Method Investee [Member]            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Notes receivable to related party   2,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_EradoBrazilMember
    10,800,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_EradoBrazilMember
2,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_EradoBrazilMember
Aeroleo [Member]            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Ownership   50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
[2]     50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
Voting ownership percentage   20.00%era_EquityMethodInvestmentVotingOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
      20.00%era_EquityMethodInvestmentVotingOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments   4,800,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
       
Recognized impairment charge 5,900,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOtherThanTemporaryImpairment
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
      5,900,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOtherThanTemporaryImpairment
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
 
Number of helicopters leased     11era_EquityMethodInvestmentNumberofHelicoptersLeased
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
11era_EquityMethodInvestmentNumberofHelicoptersLeased
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
11era_EquityMethodInvestmentNumberofHelicoptersLeased
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
 
Aeroleo [Member] | Equity Method Investee [Member]            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Notes receivable to related party   6,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
      6,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
Notes receivable interest rate   6.00%us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionRate
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
       
Revenue from related parties     16,700,000us-gaap_RevenueFromRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
16,200,000us-gaap_RevenueFromRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
17,600,000us-gaap_RevenueFromRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
 
Accounts receivable related parties     31,000,000us-gaap_AccountsReceivableRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
21,000,000us-gaap_AccountsReceivableRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
   
Co-venturer [Member] | Era do Brazil [Member]            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments   4,800,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_CoVenturerMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_EradoBrazilMember
       
Co-venturer [Member] | Aeroleo [Member] | Equity Method Investee [Member]            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Notes receivable to related party   $ 6,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableRelatedParties
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_CoVenturerMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
      6,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableRelatedParties
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_CoVenturerMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
Notes receivable interest rate   6.00%us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionRate
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_CoVenturerMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_EquityMethodInvesteeMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= era_AeroleoMember
       
[1] Consolidated entity as of September 30, 2012 as this is a VIE in which the Company is the primary beneficiary.
[2] Investment was impaired in 2012.