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Document And Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Document And Entity Information - USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016	Jul. 22, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	FREQUENCY ELECTRONICS INC
Document Type	10-K
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--04-30
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		8,729,682
Entity Public Float			$ 67,100,000
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Central Index Key	0000039020
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Smaller Reporting Company
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Document Period End Date	Apr. 30, 2016
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 6,082	$ 7,222
Marketable securities	11,111	11,186
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $189 in each of 2016 and 2015	9,000	9,689
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings, net	12,377	12,929
Inventories, net	41,278	38,239
Deferred and prepaid income taxes	3,213	3,063
Prepaid expenses and other	1,250	1,271
Total current assets	84,311	83,599
Property, plant and equipment, at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization	13,072	12,686
Deferred income taxes	7,702	7,360
Goodwill and other intangible assets	617	617
Cash surrender value of life insurance and cash held in trust	12,819	11,825
Other assets	1,693	1,738
Total assets	120,214	117,825
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable - trade	2,650	1,720
Accrued liabilities	6,108	6,630
Total current liabilities	8,758	8,350
Long-term debt - noncurrent	6,000	6,000
Deferred compensation	11,773	11,318
Deferred rent and other liabilities	331	347
Total liabilities	26,862	26,015
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $1.00 par value authorized 600 shares, no shares issued
Common stock, $1.00 par value; authorized 20,000 shares, 9,164 shares issued and 8,753 outstanding in 2016; 8,699 outstanding in 2015	9,164	9,164
Additional paid-in capital	55,576	54,360
Retained earnings	28,533	27,528
	93,273	91,052
Common stock reacquired and held in treasury - at cost (411 shares in 2016 and 465 shares in 2015)	(1,885)	(2,132)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	1,964	2,890
Total stockholders' equity	93,352	91,810
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 120,214	$ 117,825

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parentheticals) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Allowance for doubtful accounts (in Dollars)	$ 189	$ 189
Preferred stock, par value (in Dollars per share)	$ 1.00	$ 1.00
Preferred stock, shares authorized	600	600
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Common stock, par value (in Dollars per share)	$ 1.00	$ 1.00
Common stock, shares authorized	20,000	20,000
Common stock shares issued	9,164	9,164
Common stock, shares outstanding	8,753	8,699
Treasury stock, shares	411	465

Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Revenues	$ 60,394	$ 76,564
Cost of revenues	39,958	53,016
Gross margin	20,436	23,548
Selling and administrative expenses	13,205	14,207
Research and development expenses	5,929	5,666
Operating profit	1,302	3,675
Other income (expense):
Investment income	492	1,042
Interest expense	(131)	(139)
Other income (expense), net	412	(42)
Income before provision for income taxes	2,075	4,536
Provision for income taxes	1,070	1,710
Net income	$ 1,005	$ 2,826
Net income per common share:
Basic (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.12	$ 0.33
Diluted (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.11	$ 0.32
Average shares outstanding:
Basic (in Shares)	8,727,874	8,610,950
Diluted (in Shares)	8,936,909	8,909,758
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Net income	$ 1,005	$ 2,826
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(753)	(1,093)
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities:
Change in market value of marketable securities before reclassification, net of tax of $51 and ($176), respectively	(99)	343
Reclassification adjustment for realized gains included in net income, net of tax of $57 and $192, respectively	(74)	(374)
Total unrealized loss on marketable securities, net of tax	(173)	(31)
Total other comprehensive (loss)	(926)	(1,124)
Comprehensive income	$ 79	$ 1,702

Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income (Parentheticals) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Change in market value of marketable securities before reclassification, tax	$ 51	$ (176)
Reclassification adjustment for realized gains included in net income, tax	$ 57	$ 192

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 1,005	$ 2,826
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided in operating activities:
Deferred income tax benefit	(1,265)	(720)
Depreciation and amortization	2,712	2,944
Deferred lease obligation	(75)	(81)
Provision for losses on accounts receivable, inventories and warranty reserve	148	222
Gains on marketable securities	(131)	(566)
Loss (gain) on sale of fixed and other assets, net	(370)	64
Employee benefit plans expense	1,450	1,516
Stock-based compensation expense	824	1,077
Tax benefit from exercise of stock-based compensation	(141)	(200)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(1,723)	(3,206)
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	3,340	(2,490)
Inventories	(3,306)	1,267
Prepaid expenses and other	(34)	42
Other assets	(570)	(529)
Accounts payable - trade	1,179	25
Accrued liabilities	(608)	(339)
Income taxes refundable/payable	1,013	594
Other liabilities	(525)	(564)
Net cash provided by operating activities	2,923	1,882
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of marketable securities	(1,356)	(1,956)
Proceeds from sale or redemption of marketable securities	1,267	7,271
Capital expenditures	(3,437)	(4,157)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(3,526)	1,158
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from credit line borrowing	0	2,300
Payment of short-term credit and lease obligations	0	(6,400)
Tax benefit from exercise of stock-based compensation	141	200
Net cash provided (used in) by financing activities	141	(3,900)
Net (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents before effect of exchange rate changes	(462)	(860)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(678)	384
Net (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,140)	(476)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	7,222	7,698
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	6,082	7,222
Cash paid during the year for:
Interest	128	140
Income taxes	$ 1,311	$ 1,851

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]	Total
Balance at Apr. 30, 2014	$ 9,164	$ 53,181	$ 24,702	$ (2,715)	$ 4,014	$ 88,346
Balance (in Shares) at Apr. 30, 2014	9,163,940			593,131
Contribution of stock to 401(k) plan		302		$ 183		485
Contribution of stock to 401(k) plan (in Shares)				(40,324)
Stock-based compensation expense		1,072		$ 5		$ 1,077
Stock-based compensation expense (in Shares)				(1,400)		58,000
Tax benefit from stock option exercise		200				$ 200
Exercise of stock options and stock appreciation rights - net of		(395)		$ 395
Exercise of stock options and stock appreciation rights - net of (in Shares)				(86,244)		205,500
Change in unrealized gains and losses on marketable securities, net of taxes					(31)	$ (31)
Foreign currency translation adjustment					(1,093)	(1,093)
Net Income			2,826			2,826
Balance at Apr. 30, 2015	$ 9,164	54,360	27,528	$ (2,132)	2,890	$ 91,810
Balance (in Shares) at Apr. 30, 2015	9,163,940			465,163		8,699,000
Contribution of stock to 401(k) plan		283		$ 215		$ 498
Contribution of stock to 401(k) plan (in Shares)				(46,743)
Stock-based compensation expense		818		$ 6		824
Stock-based compensation expense (in Shares)				(1,300)
Tax benefit from stock option exercise		141				$ 141
Exercise of stock options and stock appreciation rights - net of		(26)		$ 26
Exercise of stock options and stock appreciation rights - net of (in Shares)				(5,736)		19,500
Change in unrealized gains and losses on marketable securities, net of taxes					(173)	$ (173)
Foreign currency translation adjustment					(753)	(753)
Net Income			1,005			1,005
Balance at Apr. 30, 2016	$ 9,164	$ 55,576	$ 28,533	$ (1,885)	$ 1,964	$ 93,352
Balance (in Shares) at Apr. 30, 2016	9,163,940			411,384		8,753,000

1. Summary of Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

1. Summary of Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation:

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Frequency Electronics, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (the "Company" or "Registrant"). References to “FEI” are to the parent company alone and do not refer to any of its subsidiaries. The Company is principally engaged in the design, development and manufacture of precision time and frequency control products and components for microwave integrated circuit applications. See Note 13 for information regarding the Company’s FEI-NY (which includes the subsidiaries FEI Government Systems, Inc., FEI Communications, Inc., Frequency Electronics, Inc. Asia (“FEI-Asia”) and FEI-Elcom Tech, Inc. (“FEI-Elcom”)), Gillam-FEI, and FEI-Zyfer business segments. Intercompany accounts and significant intercompany transactions are eliminated in consolidation. To accommodate the different fiscal periods of Gillam-FEI, the Company recognizes its share of net income or loss on a one month lag. Any material events which may occur during the intervening month at Gillam-FEI will be accounted for in the consolidated financial statements.

These financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported and disclosed in the financial statements and related notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Cash Equivalents:

The Company considers certificates of deposit and other highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company places its temporary cash investments with high credit quality financial institutions. Such investments may at times be in excess of the FDIC and SIPC insurance limits. No losses have been experienced on such investments.

Marketable Securities:

Marketable securities consist of investments in common stocks, including exchange-traded funds, corporate debt securities and debt securities of U.S. Government agencies. All marketable securities were held in the custody of financial institutions; three institutions at April 30, 2016 and 2015. Investments in debt and equity securities are categorized as available for sale and are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses excluded from income and recorded directly to stockholders' equity. The Company recognizes gains or losses when securities are sold using the specific identification method.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts:

Losses from uncollectible accounts receivable are provided for by utilizing the allowance for doubtful accounts method based upon management’s estimate of uncollectible accounts. Management analyzes accounts receivable and the potential for bad debts, customer concentrations, credit worthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the amount recorded for the allowance for doubtful accounts.

Property, Plant and Equipment:

Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost and include interest on funds borrowed to finance construction. Expenditures for renewals and betterments are capitalized; maintenance and repairs are charged to income when incurred. When fixed assets are sold or retired, the cost and related accumulated depreciation and amortization are eliminated from the respective accounts and any gain or loss is credited or charged to income.

If events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a long-lived asset may not be recoverable, the Company estimates the future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. If the sum of the expected future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) is less than the carrying amount of the long-lived asset, an impairment loss is recognized. To date, no impairment losses have been recognized.

Inventories:

Inventories, which consist of finished goods, work-in-process, raw materials and components, are accounted for at the lower of cost (specific and average) or market.

Depreciation and Amortization:

Depreciation of fixed assets is computed on the straight-line method based upon the estimated useful lives of the assets (40 years for buildings and 3 to 10 years for other depreciable assets). Leasehold improvements and equipment acquired under capital leases are amortized on the straight-line method over the shorter of the term of the lease or the useful life of the related asset.

Amortization of identifiable intangible assets is based upon the expected lives of the assets and is recorded at a rate which approximates the Company’s utilization of the assets.

Intangible Assets:

Intangible assets consist of the ISO 9000 certification arising from the acquisition of FEI-Elcom in the assignment of fair value to its acquired assets including intangibles. The certification is valued at fair value and was amortized over the estimated useful life of 3 years from the date of acquisition.

Goodwill:

The Company records goodwill as the excess of purchase price over the fair value of identifiable net assets acquired. Goodwill is tested for impairment on at least an annual basis at year end. When it is determined that the carrying value of goodwill may not be recoverable, the Company writes down the goodwill to an amount commensurate with the revised value of the acquired assets. The Company measures impairment based on revenue projections, recent transactions involving similar businesses and price/revenue multiples at which they were bought and sold, price/revenue multiples of competitors, and the present market value of publicly-traded companies in the Company’s industry.

Revenue and Cost Recognition:

Revenues under larger, long-term contracts, which generally require billings based on achievement of milestones rather than delivery of product, are reported in operating results using the percentage of completion method. For U.S. Government and other fixed-price contracts that require initial design and development of the product, revenue is recognized on the cost-to-cost method. Under this method, revenue is recorded based upon the ratio that incurred costs bear to total estimated contract costs with related cost of sales recorded as the costs are incurred. Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts, net of billings on uncompleted contracts in excess of costs and estimated earnings, are included in current assets.

On production-type orders, revenue is recorded as units are delivered with the related cost of sales recognized on each shipment based upon a percentage of estimated final program costs.

Changes in job performance on long-term and production-type orders may result in revisions to costs and revenue and are recognized in the period in which revisions are determined to be required. Provisions for the full amount of anticipated losses are made in the period in which they become determinable.

For customer orders in the Company’s subsidiaries, and smaller contracts or orders in the other business segments, sales of products and services to customers are reported in operating results upon shipment of the product or performance of the services pursuant to terms of the customer order.

Contract costs include all direct material, direct labor costs, manufacturing overhead and other direct costs related to contract performance. Selling, general and administrative costs are charged to expense as incurred.

In accordance with industry practice, inventoried costs contain amounts relating to contracts and programs with long production cycles, a portion of which will not be realized within one year. Program costs for which production-level orders cannot be determined as probable are written down in the period in which that assessment is made.

Comprehensive Income:

Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income. Other comprehensive income includes changes in unrealized gains or losses, net of tax, on securities available for sale during the year and the effects of foreign currency translation adjustments.

Research and Development Expenses:

The Company engages in research and development activities to identify new applications for its core technologies, to improve existing products and to improve manufacturing processes to achieve cost reductions and manufacturing efficiencies. Research and development costs include direct labor, manufacturing overhead, direct materials and contracted services. Such costs are expensed as incurred.

Income Taxes:

The Company recognizes deferred tax liabilities and assets based on the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are established and adjusted when necessary to increase or reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

The Company analyzes its tax positions under accounting standards which prescribe recognition thresholds that must be met before a tax benefit is recognized in the financial statements and provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and transition. An entity may only recognize or continue to recognize tax positions that meet a "more likely than not" threshold. When and if the Company were to recognize interest or penalties related to income taxes, it would be reported net of the federal tax benefit in the tax provision.

Earnings Per Share:

Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding. Diluted earnings per share are computed by dividing net earnings by the sum of the weighted average number of shares of common stock and the if-converted effect of unexercised stock options and stock appreciation rights.

Fair Values of Financial Instruments:

Cash and cash equivalents, short-term credit obligations, long term debt and cash surrender value are reflected in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at amounts considered by management to reasonably approximate fair value based upon the nature of the instrument and current market conditions. Management is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect the value of these amounts. The Company also has an investment in a privately-held company, Morion, Inc. (“Morion”). The Company is unable to reasonably estimate a fair value for this investment.

Foreign Operations and Foreign Currency Adjustments:

The Company maintains manufacturing operations in Belgium and the People’s Republic of China. The Company is vulnerable to currency risks in these countries. The local currency is the functional currency of each of the Company’s non-U.S. subsidiaries. No foreign currency gains or losses are recorded on intercompany transactions since they are effected at current rates of exchange. The results of operations of foreign subsidiaries, when translated into U.S. dollars, reflect the average rates of exchange for the periods presented. The balance sheets of foreign subsidiaries, except for equity accounts which are translated at historical rates, are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange in effect on the date of the balance sheet. As a result, similar results in local currency can vary upon translation into U.S. dollars if exchange rates fluctuate significantly from one period to the next.

Equity-based Compensation:

The Company values its share-based payment transactions using the Black-Scholes valuation model. Such value is recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the service period of the awards, which is generally the vesting period, net of estimated forfeitures.

The weighted average fair value of each option or stock appreciation right (“SAR”) has been estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following range of weighted average assumptions used for grants:

	Years ended April 30
	2016			2015
Expected volatility		35	%		35	%
Dividend yield		0.0	%		0.0	%
Risk-free interest rate	1.35% and 1.50		%	1.50% and 2.38		%
Expected lives	5.0 years			5.0 and 8.5 years

The expected life assumption was determined based on the Company’s historical experience as well as the term of recent SAR agreements. The expected volatility assumption was based on the historical volatility of the Company’s common stock. The dividend yield assumption was determined based upon the Company’s past history of dividend payments and the Company’s current decision to suspend payment of dividends. The risk-free interest rate assumption was determined using the implied yield currently available for zero-coupon U.S. Government issues with a remaining term equal to the expected life of the stock options or SARs.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk, consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and trade receivables. The Company maintains accounts at several commercial banks at which the balances exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation limits. The Company has not experienced any losses on such amounts. Concentration of credit risk with respect to trade receivables is generally diversified due to the large number of entities comprising the Company’s customer base and their dispersion across geographic areas principally within the United States. The Company routinely addresses the financial strength of its customers and, as a consequence, believes that its receivable credit risk exposure is limited. The Company does not require customers to post collateral.

New Accounting Pronouncements:

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) amended the existing accounting standards for stock-based compensation, Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The amendments impact several aspects of accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, forfeitures, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. This guidance requires a mix of prospective, modified retrospective, and retrospective transition to all annual and interim periods presented and is effective for the Company beginning in fiscal 2018. The Company has not determined the full impact of implementation of this standard, but does not expect it will have a material effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02 Leases (Topic 842). The objective of the update is to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The amendments of the ASU 2016-02 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2018 and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on our consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17 (“ASU 2015-17”), Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. The amendments in ASU 2015-17 seek to simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes and require that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. ASU 2015-17 is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early application permitted for all entities as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The Company has not determined the full impact of implementation of this standard, but believes it will not be material to net income. The Company believes that the main impact of adoption of the standard will be the reclassification of current deferred tax assets to an increase in noncurrent deferred tax assets for the period ending April 30, 2018.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory (“ASU 2015-11”) which changes the measurement principle for inventory from the lower of cost or market to the lower of cost or net realizable value. ASU 2015-11 defines net realizable value as estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. The new guidance must be applied on a prospective basis and is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (“ASU 2014-15”), which is effective for annual periods after December 15, 2016 and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. Under ASU 2014-15, entities will be required to formally assess their ability to continue as a going concern and provide disclosures under certain circumstances. While current practice regarding such disclosures is often guided by U.S. auditing standards, the new standard explicitly requires the assessment at interim and annual periods, and provides management with its own disclosure guidance. The standard can be adopted early. The company is currently assessing the impact that adopting these new assessment and disclosure requirements will have on its financial statements and footnote disclosures.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). ASU 2014-09 eliminates most of the existing industry-specific revenue recognition guidance and significantly expands related disclosures. The required disclosures will include both quantitative and qualitative information about the amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue from contracts with customers and the significant judgments used. Entities can retrospectively apply ASU 2014-09 or use an alternative transition method. In July 2015, the FASB approved a one-year deferral of the effective date of this ASU. Although the amending ASU has not yet been issued, since it will be amended, this ASU is effective for public companies for annual reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2017 and for the Company, must be adopted for its fiscal year 2019 beginning on May 1, 2018. The Company is in the process of determining the effect that ASU 2014-09 may have on its financial statements.

2. Earnings Per Share

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Share [Text Block]

2. Earnings Per Share

Reconciliations of the weighted average shares outstanding for basic and diluted Earnings Per Share are as follows:

	Years ended April 30,
	2016		2015
Basic EPS Shares outstanding (weighted average)		8,727,874		8,610,950
Effect of Dilutive Securities		209,035		298,808
Diluted EPS Shares outstanding		8,936,909		8,909,758

Dilutive securities consist of unexercised stock options and stock appreciation rights (“SARS”). The computation of diluted shares outstanding excludes those options and SARS with an exercise price in excess of the average market price of the Company’s common shares during the periods presented. The inclusion of such options and SARS in the computation of earnings per share would have been antidilutive. For the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, the number of excluded options and SARS were 388,625 and 271,500, respectively.

3. Costs and Estimated Earnings in Excess of Billings

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Contractors [Abstract]

Long-term Contracts or Programs Disclosure [Text Block]

3. Costs and Estimated Earnings in Excess of Billings

At April 30, 2016 and 2015, costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings, net, consist of the following:

	2016			2015
	(in thousands)
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	$	12,460		$	14,057
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings		(83	)		(1,128	)
Net asset	$	12,377		$	12,929

Such amounts represent revenue recognized on long-term contracts that had not been billed at the balance sheet dates or represent a liability for amounts billed in excess of the revenue recognized. Amounts are billed to customers pursuant to contract terms. In general, the recorded amounts will be billed and collected or revenue recognized within twelve months of the balance sheet date. Revenue on these long-term contracts is accounted for on the percentage of completion basis. During the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, revenue recognized under percentage of completion contracts was approximately $32.5 million and $46.8 million, respectively. If contract losses are anticipated, costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings are reduced for the full amount of such losses when they are determinable. Total anticipated contract losses at April 30, 2016 and 2015 were approximately $450,000 and $400,000, respectively.

4. Inventories

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]

Inventory Disclosure [Text Block]

4. Inventories

Inventories at April 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, consisted of the following (in thousands):

	2016		2015
Raw Materials and Component Parts	$	25,110	$	24,274
Work in Progress		12,042		9,948
Finished Goods		4,126		4,017
	$	41,278	$	38,239

As of April 30, 2016 and 2015, approximately $35.3 million and $32.0 million, respectively, of total inventory is located in the United States, approximately $5.0 million and $5.4 million, respectively, is located in Belgium and approximately $1.0 million and $0.8 million, respectively, is located in China. The company buys inventory in bulk quantities which may be used over significant time periods; due to its nature the inventory does not deteriorate.

5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]

5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases

Property, plant and equipment at April 30, 2016 and 2015, consists of the following (in thousands):

	2016		2015
Buildings and building improvements	$	5,509	$	5,224
Machinery, equipment and furniture		55,874		52,987
		61,383		58,211
Less, accumulated depreciation		48,311		45,525
	$	13,072	$	12,686

Depreciation and amortization expense for the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015 was $2,660,000 and $2,828,000, respectively.

Maintenance and repairs charged to operations for the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015 was approximately $611,000 and $1,017,000, respectively.

The Company leases its Long Island, New York headquarters building at an annual rent of $800,000 following the Company’s exercise of its option to renew the lease for a second 5-year period. The lease will end in January 2019. Under the terms of the lease, the Company is required to pay its proportionate share of real estate taxes, insurance and other charges.

In addition, the Company’s subsidiaries in New Jersey, China, France and California lease their office and manufacturing facilities. FEI-Elcom leases 32,000 square feet of office and manufacturing space at current monthly rental of approximately $40,000 through the end of the lease which expires in March 2018. The lease for the FEI-Asia facility is for a one-year term with monthly rent of $5,000 through February 2017. FEI-Zyfer leases office and manufacturing space encompassing 27,850 square feet. Monthly rental payments are currently $31,200 for the remaining 16 months of the lease term. Satel-FEI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gillam-FEI, occupies office space under a 9-year lease, cancelable after three years, at an approximate rate of $1,000 per month.

Rent expense under operating leases was approximately $1.5 million for both fiscal years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015. The Company records rent expense on its New York building and FEI-Zyfer facility on the straight-line method over the lives of the respective leases. As a result, as of April 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company’s balance sheet includes deferred rent payable of approximately $214,000 and $290,000, respectively, which will be recognized over the respective rental periods.

Future noncancellable minimum lease payments required by the operating leases are as follows (in thousands):

Years ending
April 30,	Operating Leases
2017	$	1,713
2018		1,363
2019		600
Total future minimum lease payments	$	3,676

6. Marketable Securities

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Investments in Debt and Marketable Equity Securities (and Certain Trading Assets) Disclosure [Text Block]

6. Marketable Securities

The cost, gross unrealized gains, gross unrealized losses and fair market value of available-for-sale securities at April 30, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (in thousands):

	April 30, 2016
			Gross		Gross			Fair
			Unrealized		Unrealized			Market
	Cost		Gains		Losses			Value
Fixed income securities	$	3,407	$	121	$	(6	)	$	3,522
Equity securities		7,197		974		(582	)		7,589
	$	10,604	$	1,095	$	(588	)	$	11,111

	April 30, 2015
			Gross		Gross			Fair
			Unrealized		Unrealized			Market
	Cost		Gains		Losses			Value
Fixed income securities	$	3,379	$	104	$	(16	)	$	3,467
Equity securities		7,018		834		(133	)		7,719
	$	10,397	$	938	$	(149	)	$	11,186

The following table presents the fair value and unrealized losses, aggregated by investment type and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position:

	Less than 12 months					12 Months or more					Total
	Fair		Unrealized			Fair		Unrealized			Fair		Unrealized
	Value		Losses			Value		Losses			Value		Losses
April 30, 2016
Fixed Income Securities	$	-	$	-		$	467	$	(6	)	$	467	$	(6	)
Equity Securities		574		(18	)		2,232		(564	)		2,806		(582	)
	$	574	$	(18	)	$	2,699	$	(570	)	$	3,273	$	(588	)
April 30, 2015
Fixed Income Securities	$	96	$	(1	)	$	461	$	(15	)	$	557	$	(16	)
Equity Securities		3,323		(133	)		-		-			3,323		(133	)
	$	3,419	$	(134	)	$	461	$	(15	)	$	3,880	$	(149	)

The Company regularly reviews its investment portfolio to identify and evaluate investments that have indications of possible impairment. The Company does not believe that its investments in marketable securities with unrealized losses at April 30, 2016 are other-than-temporary due to market volatility of the security’s fair value, analysts’ expectations and the Company’s ability to hold the securities for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recoveries in market value.

Proceeds from the sale or redemption of available-for-sale securities and the resulting gross realized gains and losses included in the determination of net income (loss) are as follows (in thousands):

	For the years ended April 30,
	2016			2015
Proceeds	$	1,267		$	7,271
Gross realized gains	$	147		$	571
Gross realized losses	$	(16	)	$	(5	)

Maturities of fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale at April 30, 2016 are as follows (at cost, in thousands):

Current	$	1,101
Due after one year through five years		516
Due after five years through ten years		1,790
	$	3,407

The fair value accounting framework provides a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (level 3 measurements).

The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Level 1

Inputs to the valuation methodology are unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that the Company has the ability to access.

Level 2

Inputs to the valuation methodology include:

- Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets;

- Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets

- Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability;

- Inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.

Level 3

Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The asset’s or liability’s fair value measurement level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Valuation techniques used need to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. All of the Company’s investments in marketable securities are Level 1 assets.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for investments in certain debt and equity securities.

+ References + Details

7. Debt Obligations	12 Months Ended
7. Debt Obligations	Apr. 30, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]	7. Debt Obligations On June 6, 2013, the Company obtained a credit facility (the “Facility”) from JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“JPMorgan”) pursuant to a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) between the Company and JPMorgan. The maximum aggregate amount of the Facility is $25.0 million. Proceeds from the Facility will be used for working capital and to finance acquisitions. During the year ended April 30, 2015, the Company borrowed an additional $2.3 million under the Facility primarily to finance the acquisition of additional manufacturing equipment and repaid an aggregate of $6.4 million from its operating cash flow and as a result of redemptions of certain fixed income marketable securities. The Company may make borrowings under the Facility, from either Tranche A or Tranche B or a combination of both, not to exceed $25.0 million. Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the amount of Tranche A borrowings may not exceed the value of the Pledged Investments (as defined in the Credit Agreement). The amount of Tranche B borrowings may not exceed the lesser of (i) $15.0 million and (ii) the Borrowing Base (as defined in the Credit Agreement). Current outstanding borrowings under the Facility are all under Tranche A. The Facility is fully guaranteed by certain of the Company’s subsidiaries and is secured by, among other things, a pledge of substantially all personal property of the Company and certain of the Company’s subsidiaries. Borrowings under the Facility are evidenced by a line of credit note (the “Note”) and bear interest, payable monthly, at a rate equal to the LIBOR Rate, as determined from time to time by JPMorgan pursuant to the terms of the Note, plus a margin of 0.75% for Tranche A borrowings and 1.75% for Tranche B borrowings. At April 30, 2016 and 2015, the rate was 1.1913% and 0.9305%, respectively, based on the one-month LIBOR rate. The principal balance on the Note, along with any accrued and unpaid interest, is due and payable no later than June 5, 2018, which is the maturity date of the Facility. In addition, the Company is required to pay JPMorgan fees equal to 0.1% per annum on any unused portion of the Facility. The Credit Agreement contains a number of affirmative and negative covenants, including limitations on the incurrence of additional debt, liens on property, acquisitions, loans and guarantees, mergers, consolidations, liquidations and dissolutions, asset sales, and distributions and other payments in respect of the Company’s capital stock. The Credit Agreement also contains certain events of default customary for credit facilities of this type, including nonpayment of principal or interest when due, material incorrectness of representations and warranties when made, breach of covenants, bankruptcy and insolvency, unstayed material judgment beyond specified periods, and acceleration or payment default of other material indebtedness. The Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain, as of the end of each fiscal quarter, a funded debt to EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) ratio and, if there are any borrowings under Tranche B, an interest charge coverage ratio. The calculation of both ratios is defined in the Credit Agreement. For the year ended April 30, 2016, the Company met the required covenants for its borrowings under Tranche A. The Company’s European subsidiaries have available 250,000 Euros (approximately $275,000 based on current rates of exchange between the dollar and the Euro) in a bank credit line to meet short-term cash flow requirements. As of April 30, 2016 and 2015, no amounts were outstanding under such line of credit. Borrowings under the bank credit line, if any, must be repaid within one year of receipt of funds. Interest on this credit line is at 1.0% over the EURO Interbank Offered rate (EURIBOR). At April 30, 2016 and 2015, the rate was 0.692% and 1.12% respectively, based on the one-month EURIBOR.

8. Accrued Liabilities

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities Disclosure [Text Block]

8. Accrued Liabilities

Accrued liabilities at April 30, 2016 and 2015 consist of the following (in thousands):

	2016		2015
Vacation and other compensation	$	1,683	$	1,633
Incentive compensation		677		1,302
Payroll taxes		1,254		1,012
Deferred revenue		640		720
Warranty reserve		617		617
Cost conversion		450		450
Commissions		252		407
Other		535		489
	$	6,108	$	6,630

9. Investment in Morion, Inc.	12 Months Ended
9. Investment in Morion, Inc.	Apr. 30, 2016
Investment Holdings [Abstract]
Investment Holdings [Text Block]	9. Investment in Morion, Inc. The Company has an investment in Morion, Inc., a privately-held Russian company, which manufactures high precision quartz resonators and crystal oscillators. The Company’s investment consists of 4.6% of Morion’s outstanding shares, accordingly, the Company accounts for its investment in Morion on the cost basis. This investment is included in other assets in the accompanying balance sheets. During the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company acquired product from Morion in the aggregate amount of approximately $140,000 and $201,000, respectively, and the Company sold product to Morion in the aggregate amount of approximately $845,000 and $615,000, respectively. At April 30, 2016, accounts receivable included $33,000 due from Morion and $37,000 was payable to Morion. On October 22, 2012, the Company entered into an agreement to license its rubidium oscillator production technology to Morion. The agreement required the Company to sell certain fully-depreciated production equipment previously owned by the Company and to provide training to Morion employees to enable Morion to produce a minimum of 5,000 rubidium oscillators per year. Morion will pay the Company approximately $2.7 million for the license and the equipment plus 5% royalties on third party sales for a 5-year period following an initial production run. During the same 5-year period, the Company commits to purchase from Morion a minimum of approximately $400,000 worth of rubidium oscillators per year although Morion is not obligated to sell that amount to the Company. During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2016, sales to Morion included $375,000 for product and training services under this agreement. Per the amended agreement, the balance of $1 million for the transfer of the license will be due once the United States Department of State (“State Department”) approves the removal of certain provisions of the original agreement. The State Department has approved the technology transfer called for under the agreement. On March 29, 2016, the Company renegotiated the $1 million dollar amendment under the original agreement dated October 22, 2012 to $602,000 due to the U.S. Government easing of export regulations. Of this amount $392,500 was billed and paid during FY 2016 and the balance of $210,000 will be billed during FY 2017.

10. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
10. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	Apr. 30, 2016
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block]	10. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets During fiscal year 2004, the Company acquired FEI-Zyfer, Inc. (“FEI-Zyfer”). This acquisition resulted in the recording of $218,000 in goodwill. In February 2012, the Company acquired FEI-Elcom resulting in the recording of goodwill in the amount of $398,000 plus other intangible assets with a value of $275,000. Management has determined that goodwill is not impaired as of April 30, 2016 and 2015. The other intangible assets were amortized over a three-year period from the date of acquisition. Amortization expense for the year ended April 30, 2015 was approximately $73,000. As of April 30, 2015 these intangible assets were fully amortized.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

+ References + Details

11. Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Disclosure Text Block Supplement [Abstract]

Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans [Text Block]

11. Employee Benefit Plans

Profit Sharing Plan:

The Company provides its U.S.-based employees with a profit sharing plan and trust under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. This plan allows all eligible employees to defer a portion of their income through voluntary contributions to the plan. In accordance with the provisions of the plan, the Company can make discretionary matching contributions in the form of cash or common stock. For the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company contributed 46,743 and 40,324 shares of common stock, respectively. The approximate value of these shares at the date of contribution was $498,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $485,000 in fiscal year 2015. Contributed shares are drawn from the Company’s common stock held in treasury and are removed at the Company’s original cost of acquisition of such shares on a specific identification basis. In addition to changes in the treasury stock accounts, during fiscal years 2016 and 2015, such transactions increased additional paid in capital by $283,000 and $302,000, respectively. As of April 30, 2016, all shares of the Company’s common stock held by the two plans were combined for an aggregate holding of 790,136 shares, which are allocated to the accounts of the individual participants.

On May 6, 2015, the ESOP Plan (see below) was merged into the Company’s profit sharing plan. As of April 30, 2015, the profit sharing plan held an aggregate of 467,975 shares of the Company’s common stock allocated to the accounts of the individual participants.

Income Incentive Pool:

The Company maintains incentive bonus programs for certain employees which are based on operating profits of the individual subsidiaries to which the employees are assigned. The Company also adopted a plan for the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, which formula is based on consolidated pre-tax profits. Under these plans, the Company charged approximately $0.7 million and $1.3 million to selling and administrative expenses for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Employee Stock Plans:

The Company has various stock plans, some of which have been approved by the Company’s stockholders, for key management employees, including officers and directors who are employees, certain consultants and independent members of the Board of Directors. The plans are Nonqualified Stock Options (“NQSO”) plans, Incentive Stock Option ("ISO”) plans and Stock Appreciation Rights (“SARS”). Under these plans, options or SARS are granted at the discretion of the Stock Option Committee at an exercise price not less than the fair market value of the Company's common stock on the date of grant.

Typically, options and SARS vest over a four-year period from the date of grant. The options and SARS generally expire ten years after the date of grant (the most recent SAR award expires in five years) and are subject to certain restrictions on transferability of the shares obtained on exercise. Under the Company’s 2005 Stock Award Plan (“Plan”) the Company provided option holders the opportunity to exercise stock options either by paying the exercise price for the shares or to do a cashless exercise whereby the individual receives the net number of shares of stock equal in value to the exercised number of shares times the difference between the current market value of the Company’s stock and the exercise price. Under the Plan, instruments granted under other plans which expire, are canceled, or are tendered in the exercise of such instruments, increase the shares available under the Plan.

As of April 30, 2013, a consultant, who is the son of the Company’s president, had been granted options to purchase 37,500 shares of Company stock under NQSO plans at a weighted average exercise price of $6.67. During the year ended April 30, 2015, the consultant elected cashless exercises of 20,000 shares at an exercise price of $6.67, resulting in a net issuance of 8,638 shares. As of April 30, 2015, the consultant has no outstanding stock options. At the beginning of fiscal year 2015, eligible employees had been granted options to purchase approximately 172,500 shares of which 95,000 options with a weighted average exercise price of $13.15 were outstanding and exercisable. During the year ended April 30, 2015, 57,000 options expired and were returned to the Plan. The remaining 38,000 shares were exercised by the employees using the cashless method resulting in the net issuance of 6,931 shares of Company stock. Total fiscal year 2015 cashless exercises of stock options under ISO and NQSO plans, including the consultant shares above, aggregated 58,000 shares. Accordingly, the Company issued 15,569 shares on exercise and returned 42,431 shares to the pool of available shares which may be used for future grants under the Plan.

As of April 30, 2016, eligible employees and directors have been granted SARS based on approximately 2,021,000 shares of Company stock, of which approximately 1,653,000 shares are outstanding and approximately 1,314,000 shares with a weighted average exercise price of $8.45 are exercisable. As of April 30, 2015, eligible employees and directors had been granted SARS based on approximately 1,950,000 shares of Company stock, of which approximately 1,603,000 shares were outstanding and approximately 1,131,000 shares with a weighted average exercise price of $8.27 were exercisable. When the SARS become exercisable, the Company will settle the SARS by issuing to exercising recipients the number of shares of stock equal to the appreciated value of the Company’s stock between the grant date and exercise date. At the time of exercise, the quantity of shares under the SARS grant equal to the exercise value divided by the then market value of the shares will be returned to the pool of available shares for future grant under the Plan. During the year ended April 30, 2016, employees exercised SARS representing 19,500 shares of Company stock and received 5,736 shares of Company stock. The 13,764 share difference was returned to the pool of available shares and may be used for future grants. During the year ended April 30, 2015, employees exercised SARS representing 147,500 shares of Company stock and received 70,675 shares of Company stock. The 76,825 share difference was returned to the pool of available shares and may be used for future grants.

The excess of the consideration received over the par value of the common stock or cost of treasury stock issued under both types of option plans is recognized as an increase in additional paid-in capital.

The following table summarizes information about stock option and stock appreciation rights activity for the years ended April 30:

	Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights
						Weighted Average
				Weighted-		Remaining
				Average		Contractual	Aggregate
	Shares			Exercise Price		Term	Intrinsic Value
Outstanding – April 30, 2014		1,722,625		$	8.60	6.0 years
Granted		145,000			13.02
Exercised		(205,500	)		7.72		$	(1,133,640	)
Expired or Canceled		(59,000	)		14.32
Outstanding – April 30, 2015		1,603,125		$	8.90	5.8 years
Granted		72,000			12.30
Exercised		(19,500	)		9.15		$	(19,110	)
Expired or Canceled		(3,000	)		10.39
Outstanding – April 30, 2016		1,652,625		$	9.05	5.1 years	$	2,704,918
Exercisable		1,313,625		$	8.45	4.3 years	$	2,629,590
Available for future grants		16,336

As of April 30, 2016, total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested options and stock appreciation rights under the plans was approximately $1,094,000. These costs are expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.3 years.

During the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, 151,500 and 244,625 shares, respectively, vested, the fair value of which was approximately $661,000 and $1,053,000, respectively. The weighted average grant date fair value of stock appreciation rights granted during the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, were approximately $4.06 and $4.45, respectively.

Stock-based compensation costs capitalized as part of work in process inventory or included in the cost of sales of programs on which the Company recognizes revenue under the percentage of completion method were approximately $265,000 and $394,000 for the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Selling and administrative expenses include stock-based compensation expense of approximately $559,000 and $683,000 for the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The Company classifies cash flows resulting from the tax benefits from tax deductions recognized upon the exercise of stock options or SARS (tax benefits) as financing cash flows. For the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company realized $141,000 and $200,000 respectively, of tax benefits from the exercise of stock options and SARS.

Independent Contractor Stock Option Plan:

The Company had an Independent Contractor Stock Option Plan under which up to 350,000 shares could be granted. This plan was terminated in fiscal year 2006. An Independent Contractor Stock Option Committee determined to whom options may be granted from among eligible participants, the timing and duration of option grants, the option price, and the number of shares of common stock subject to each option. Options were granted to certain independent contractors at a price equal to the then fair market value of the Company’s common stock. The options were exercisable over specified periods per terms of the individual agreements. No compensation expense was recorded during the year ended April 30, 2015 as no other grants were made in those years and previous grants have been fully expensed. As a result of the adoption by the stockholders of the 2005 Stock Award Plan, the Independent Contractor Stock Option Plan was discontinued. No additional grants will be made under this plan and the outstanding grant of an option for 30,000 shares at an exercise price of $14.76 expired during fiscal year 2015.

Restricted Stock Plan:

During fiscal year 1990, the Company adopted a Restricted Stock Plan which provided that key management employees could be granted rights to purchase an aggregate of 375,000 shares of the Company's common stock. The grants, transferability restrictions and purchase price were determined at the discretion of a special committee of the board of directors. The purchase price could not be less than the par value of the common stock. Transferability of shares is restricted for a four-year period, except in the event of a change in control as defined. As a result of the adoption by the Company’s stockholders of the 2005 Stock Award Plan, the Restricted Stock Plan was discontinued. No additional grants will be made under this plan. As of April 30, 2016 and 2015, grants for 7,500 shares are available to be purchased at a price of $4.00 per share.

Employee Stock Ownership Plan/Stock Bonus Plan:

During 1990, the Company amended its Stock Bonus Plan to become an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”). By means of a bank note, subsequently repaid, the Company reacquired 561,652 shares of its common stock during fiscal year 1990. These shares plus approximately 510,000 additional shares issued by the Company from its authorized, unissued shares were sold to the ESOP in May 1990. Shares were released for allocation to participants based on a formula as specified in the ESOP document. By the end of fiscal year 2000, all shares (1,071,652) had been allocated to participant accounts of which 385,626 shares remain in the ESOP. On May 6, 2015, the ESOP plan was merged into the Company’s profit sharing plan.

Deferred Compensation Agreements:

The Company has a series of agreements with key employees providing for the payment of benefits upon retirement or death. Under these agreements, each key employee receives specified retirement payments for the remainder of the employee's life with a minimum payment of ten years' benefits to either the employee or his beneficiaries. The agreements also provide for lump sum payments upon termination of employment without cause and reduced benefits upon early retirement. The Company pays the benefits out of its working capital, but has also purchased whole life or term life insurance policies on the lives of certain of the participants to cover the optional lump sum obligations of the agreements upon the death of the participant. Deferred compensation expense charged to selling and administrative expenses during the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015 was approximately $959,000 and $1,038,000, respectively.

Life Insurance Policies and Cash Held in Trust:

The whole-life insurance policies on the lives of certain participants covered by deferred compensation agreements have been placed in a trust. Upon the death of any insured participant, cash received from life insurance policies in excess of the Company’s deferred compensation obligations to the estate or beneficiaries of the deceased, are also placed in the trust. These assets belong to the Company until a change of control event, as defined in the trust agreement, should occur. At that time, the Company is required to add sufficient cash to the trust so as to match the deferred compensation liability described above. Such funds will be used to continue the deferred compensation arrangements following a change of control.

12. Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

12. Income Taxes

The income before provision for income taxes consisted of (in thousands):

	Year Ended April 30,
	2016			2015
U.S.	$	4,011		$	6,201
Foreign		(1,936	)		(1,665	)
	$	2,075		$	4,536

The provision for income taxes consists of the following (in thousands):

	2016			2015
Current:
Federal	$	1,060		$	2,170
Foreign		-			-
State		250			260
Current provision		1,310			2,430
Deferred:
Federal		(150	)		(560	)
Foreign		-			-
State		(90	)		(160	)
Deferred benefit		(240	)		(720	)

Total provision	$	1,070		$	1,710

The following table reconciles the reported income tax expense with the amount computed using the federal statutory income tax rate (in thousands):

	2016			2015
Statutory Rate	$	705		$	1,542
State and local tax		85			(126	)
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets		833			760
Effect of foreign operations		41			73
Nondeductible expenses		166			112
Domestic production activities deduction		(159	)		(190	)
Nontaxable life insurance cash value increase		(282	)		(119	)
Tax credits		(417	)		(191	)
Other items		98			(151	)
	$	1,070		$	1,710

The components of deferred taxes are as follows (in thousands):

	2016			2015
Deferred tax assets:
Employee benefits	$	8,310		$	7,400
Inventory		1,860			1,580
Accounts receivable		490			570
Tax credits		1,260			860
Other assets		220			270
Net operating loss carryforwards		3,600			3,230
Total deferred tax asset		15,740			13,910
Deferred tax liabilities:
Marketable securities		200			270
Property, plant and equipment		750			890
Other liabilities		70			-
Deferred State Income Tax		600			-
Net deferred tax asset		14,120			12,750
Valuation allowance		(3,280	)		(2,390	)
Net deferred tax assets	$	10,840		$	10,360

The components of the deferred tax asset, by balance sheet account, were as follows (in thousands):

	2016		2015
Deferred and prepaid income taxes	$	3,138	$	3,000
Deferred income taxes		7,702		7,360
Net deferred tax asset	$	10,840	$	10,360

A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. We consider the level of historical income, scheduled reversal of temporary differences, tax planning strategies and projected future taxable income in determining whether a valuation allowance is warranted. The valuation allowance of $3.3 million as of April 30, 2016, is intended to provide for uncertainty regarding the ultimate realization of U.S. state investment tax credit carryovers and foreign net operating loss and tax credit carryovers. Based on these considerations, we believe it is more likely than not that we will realize the benefit of the net deferred tax asset of $10.8 million as of April 30, 2016, which is net of the valuation allowance.

The consolidated valuation allowance increased by approximately $890,000 during the year ended April 30, 2016. The change consists of an $830,000 deferred tax provision plus a foreign exchange adjustment and reclass of deferred state taxes of $60,000. For the year ended April 30, 2015, the change in valuation allowance was an increase of $270,000 which consists of the $760,000 deferred tax provision less a foreign exchange adjustment of $490,000.

At April 30, 2016, the Company has available approximately $6.4 million in net operating losses available to offset future income of certain of its foreign subsidiaries. These loss carryforwards have no expiration date. As a result of the acquisition of FEI-Elcom, the Company has a federal net operating loss carryforward of $4.4 million which may be applied in annually limited amounts to offset future U.S.-sourced taxable income over the next 15 years. As of April 30, 2016, the Company has state investment tax credits and foreign research and development credits of $838,000 and $425,000, respectively. The state investment tax credit expires beginning in 2023 through 2031.

The Company has evaluated its tax positions and has concluded that the tax positions meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold as specified under accounting standards. As such, the amount of unrecognized tax benefits at April 30, 2016 and April 30, 2015 were $0. As of April 30, 2016 and April 30, 2015 the Company had $0, accrued for the payment of interest and penalties. It is difficult to predict or estimate the change in the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits over the next twelve months as a result of the progression of ongoing tax audits or other events. The Company believes, however, that there should be no change during the next twelve months.

The Company is subject to taxation in the U.S. and various state, local and foreign jurisdictions. Net operating losses generated by domestic and foreign entities in closed years and utilized in open years are subject to adjustment by the tax authorities.

13. Segment Information

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]

13. Segment Information

The Company operates under three reportable segments based on the geographic locations of its subsidiaries:

(1)

FEI-NY – operates out of New York and its operations consist principally of precision time and frequency control products used in three principal markets- communication satellites (both commercial and U.S. Government-funded); terrestrial cellular telephone or other ground-based telecommunication stations and other components and systems for the U.S. military.

(2)	Gillam-FEI - operates out of Belgium and France and primarily sells wireline synchronization and network management systems in non-U.S. markets. All sales from Gillam-FEI to the United States are to other segments of the Company.

(3)

FEI-Zyfer – operates out of California and its products incorporate Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies into systems and subsystems for secure communications, both government and commercial, and other locator applications. This segment also provides sales and support for the Company’s wireline telecommunications family of products, including US5G, which are sold in the United States market.

The FEI-NY segment also includes the operations of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, FEI-Elcom and FEI-Asia. FEI-Asia functions as a manufacturing facility for the FEI-NY segment with historically minimal sales to outside customers. Beginning in late fiscal year 2014, FEI-Asia began shipping higher volumes of product to third parties as a contract manufacturer. FEI-Elcom, in addition to its own product line, provides design and technical support for the FEI-NY segment’s satellite business.

The Company’s Chief Executive Officer measures segment performance based on total revenues and profits generated by each geographic location rather than on the specific types of customers or end-users. Consequently, the Company determined that the segments indicated above most appropriately reflect the way the Company’s management views the business.

The accounting policies of the three segments are the same as those described in the “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.” The Company evaluates the performance of its segments and allocates resources to them based on operating profit which is defined as income before investment income, interest expense and taxes. The European-based director of Gillam-FEI and the president of FEI-Zyfer manage the assets of these segments. All acquired assets, including intangible assets, are included in the assets of these two segments.

The table below presents information about reported segments for each of the years ended April 30 with reconciliation of segment amounts to consolidated amounts as reported in the statement of operations or the balance sheet for each of the years (in thousands):

	2016			2015
Net revenues:
FEI-NY	$	44,238		$	61,905
Gillam-FEI		5,942	**		8,026	**
FEI-Zyfer		12,286			9,215
Less intersegment revenues		(2,072	)**		(2,582	)**
Consolidated revenues	$	60,394		$	76,564

Operating profit (loss):
FEI-NY	$	1,228		$	4,809
Gillam-FEI		(1,451	)**		(1,706	)**
FEI-Zyfer		1,996			961
Corporate		(471	)		(389	)
Consolidated operating profit	$	1,302		$	3,675

**For fiscal years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, includes Gillam-FEI intersegment sales of $847,000 and $1.5 million, respectively, to the FEI-NY and FEI-Zyfer segments. Such sales consist principally of design and development of automatic test equipment for satellite hardware production and manufacture of assemblies and units of a wireline synchronization product for ultimate production and sale in the U.S. In the Gillam-FEI segment, these transactions reduced the operating loss in each of the fiscal years.

	2016			2015
Identifiable assets:
FEI-NY (approximately $2.5 and $3 million in China)	$	62,992		$	63,541
Gillam-FEI (all in Belgium or France)		9,610			9,878
FEI-Zyfer		13,275			11,088
less intersegment receivables		(7,651	)		(8,775	)
Corporate		41,988			42,093
Consolidated identifiable assets	$	120,214		$	117,825

Depreciation and amortization (allocated):
FEI-NY	$	2,338	$	2,562
Gillam-FEI		199		208
FEI-Zyfer		160		159
Corporate		15		15
Consolidated depreciation and amortization expense	$	2,712	$	2,944

Major Customers

The Company's products are sold to both commercial and governmental customers. For the years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, approximately 60% and 47% respectively, of the Company's sales were made under contracts to the U.S. Government or subcontracts for U.S. Government end-use.

In fiscal year 2016, sales to four customers of the FEI-NY segment aggregated $30.7 million or 69% of that segment’s total sales. Two of these customers also exceeded 10% of the Company’s consolidated revenues. During the year ended April 30, 2016, in the Gillam-FEI segment, sales to one customer exceeded 10% of that segment’s revenues. In the FEI-Zyfer segment, two customers accounted for more than 10% of that segment’s sales. None of the customers in the Gillam-FEI and FEI-Zyfer segments accounted for more than 10% of consolidated revenues.

In fiscal year 2015, sales to three customers of the FEI-NY segment aggregated $33.1 million or 53% of that segment’s total sales. Each of these customers also exceeded 10% of the Company’s consolidated revenues. During the year ended April 30, 2015, in the Gillam-FEI segment, sales to one customer exceeded 10% of that segment’s revenues. In the FEI-Zyfer segment, two customers accounted for more than 10% of that segment’s sales. None of the customers in the Gillam-FEI and FEI-Zyfer segments accounted for more than 10% of consolidated revenues.

The loss by the Company of any one of these customers would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. The Company believes its relationship with these customers to be mutually satisfactory. Sales to major customers above can include commercial and governmental end users.

Foreign Sales

Revenues in each of the Company’s segments include sales to foreign governments or to companies located in foreign countries. Revenues, based on the location of the procurement entity and excluding intersegment sales, were derived from the following countries:

	(in thousands)
	2016		2015
Belgium	$	3,559	$	3,971
France		2,202		10,937
China		1,927		4,493
Israel		1,139		836
Russia		853		638
Germany		342		1,076
Other		1,507		1,610
	$	11,529	$	23,561

- Definition

The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
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Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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+ Details

14. Product Warranties

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Product Warranties Disclosures [Abstract]

Product Warranty Disclosure [Text Block]

14. Product Warranties

The Company generally provides its customers with a one-year warranty regarding the manufactured quality and functionality of its products. For some limited products, the warranty period has been extended. The Company establishes warranty reserves based on its product history, current information on repair costs and annual sales levels. Changes in the carrying amount of accrued product warranty costs are as follows (in thousands):

	Year Ended April 30,
	2016			2015
Balance at beginning of year	$	617		$	617
Warranty costs incurred		(322	)		(296	)
Product warranty accrual		322			296
Balance at end of year	$	617		$	617

15. Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Disclosure Text Block Supplement [Abstract]

Other Comprehensive Income, Noncontrolling Interest [Text Block]

15. Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“AOCI”) by component and reclassifications out of AOCI are as follows (in thousands):

	Change in						Foreign
	Market Value						Currency
	of Marketable						Translation
	Securities						Adjustment			Total
Balance April 30, 2014, net of taxes				$	1,016		$	2,998		$	4,014
Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, pretax					519			(1,093	)		(574	)
Tax effect					(176	)		-			(176	)
Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, net of taxes					343			(1,093	)		(750	)
Reclassification adjustments, pretax **		(566	)
Tax effect		192			(374	)		-			(374	)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes					(31	)		(1,093	)		(1,124	)
Balance April 30, 2015, net of taxes					985			1,905			2,890
Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, pretax					(150	)		(753	)		(903	)
Tax effect					51			-			51
Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, net of taxes					(99	)		(753	)		(852	)
Reclassification adjustments, pretax **		(131	)
Tax effect		57			(74	)		-			(74	)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes					(173	)		(753	)		(926	)
Balance April 30, 2016, net of taxes				$	812		$	1,152		$	1,964

**The reclassification adjustments represent net realized gains on the sale or redemption of available-for-sale marketable securities that were reclassified from AOCI to Other income (expense), net.

Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation:

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash Equivalents:

Marketable Securities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Marketable Securities:

Receivables, Trade and Other Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts:

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Property, Plant and Equipment:

Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Inventories:

Inventories, which consist of finished goods, work-in-process, raw materials and components, are accounted for at the lower of cost (specific and average) or market.

Depreciation, Depletion, and Amortization [Policy Text Block]

Depreciation and Amortization:

Amortization of identifiable intangible assets is based upon the expected lives of the assets and is recorded at a rate which approximates the Company’s utilization of the assets.

Intangible Assets, Finite-Lived, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Intangible Assets:

Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Goodwill, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Goodwill:

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Revenue and Cost Recognition:

On production-type orders, revenue is recorded as units are delivered with the related cost of sales recognized on each shipment based upon a percentage of estimated final program costs.

Comprehensive Income, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Comprehensive Income:

Research and Development Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Research and Development Expenses:

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income Taxes:

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Earnings Per Share:

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair Values of Financial Instruments:

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]

Foreign Operations and Foreign Currency Adjustments:

Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]

Equity-based Compensation:

	Years ended April 30
	2016			2015
Expected volatility		35	%		35	%
Dividend yield		0.0	%		0.0	%
Risk-free interest rate	1.35% and 1.50		%	1.50% and 2.38		%
Expected lives	5.0 years			5.0 and 8.5 years

Concentration Risk, Credit Risk, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Concentration of Credit Risk

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

New Accounting Pronouncements:

1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]

	Years ended April 30
	2016			2015
Expected volatility		35	%		35	%
Dividend yield		0.0	%		0.0	%
Risk-free interest rate	1.35% and 1.50		%	1.50% and 2.38		%
Expected lives	5.0 years			5.0 and 8.5 years

2. Earnings Per Share (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]

Reconciliations of the weighted average shares outstanding for basic and diluted Earnings Per Share are as follows:

	Years ended April 30,
	2016		2015
Basic EPS Shares outstanding (weighted average)		8,727,874		8,610,950
Effect of Dilutive Securities		209,035		298,808
Diluted EPS Shares outstanding		8,936,909		8,909,758

3. Costs and Estimated Earnings in Excess of Billings (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Contractors [Abstract]

Costs and Estimated Earnings in Excess of Billings, Net [Table Text Block]

At April 30, 2016 and 2015, costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings, net, consist of the following:

	2016			2015
	(in thousands)
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	$	12,460		$	14,057
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings		(83	)		(1,128	)
Net asset	$	12,377		$	12,929

4. Inventories (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block]

Inventories at April 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, consisted of the following (in thousands):

	2016		2015
Raw Materials and Component Parts	$	25,110	$	24,274
Work in Progress		12,042		9,948
Finished Goods		4,126		4,017
	$	41,278	$	38,239

5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property, Plant and Equipment [Table Text Block]

Property, plant and equipment at April 30, 2016 and 2015, consists of the following (in thousands):

	2016		2015
Buildings and building improvements	$	5,509	$	5,224
Machinery, equipment and furniture		55,874		52,987
		61,383		58,211
Less, accumulated depreciation		48,311		45,525
	$	13,072	$	12,686

Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases [Table Text Block]

Future noncancellable minimum lease payments required by the operating leases are as follows (in thousands):

Years ending
April 30,	Operating Leases
2017	$	1,713
2018		1,363
2019		600
Total future minimum lease payments	$	3,676

6. Marketable Securities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Available-for-sale Securities [Table Text Block]

The cost, gross unrealized gains, gross unrealized losses and fair market value of available-for-sale securities at April 30, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (in thousands):

	April 30, 2016
			Gross		Gross			Fair
			Unrealized		Unrealized			Market
	Cost		Gains		Losses			Value
Fixed income securities	$	3,407	$	121	$	(6	)	$	3,522
Equity securities		7,197		974		(582	)		7,589
	$	10,604	$	1,095	$	(588	)	$	11,111

	April 30, 2015
			Gross		Gross			Fair
			Unrealized		Unrealized			Market
	Cost		Gains		Losses			Value
Fixed income securities	$	3,379	$	104	$	(16	)	$	3,467
Equity securities		7,018		834		(133	)		7,719
	$	10,397	$	938	$	(149	)	$	11,186

Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the fair value and unrealized losses, aggregated by investment type and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position:

	Less than 12 months					12 Months or more					Total
	Fair		Unrealized			Fair		Unrealized			Fair		Unrealized
	Value		Losses			Value		Losses			Value		Losses
April 30, 2016
Fixed Income Securities	$	-	$	-		$	467	$	(6	)	$	467	$	(6	)
Equity Securities		574		(18	)		2,232		(564	)		2,806		(582	)
	$	574	$	(18	)	$	2,699	$	(570	)	$	3,273	$	(588	)
April 30, 2015
Fixed Income Securities	$	96	$	(1	)	$	461	$	(15	)	$	557	$	(16	)
Equity Securities		3,323		(133	)		-		-			3,323		(133	)
	$	3,419	$	(134	)	$	461	$	(15	)	$	3,880	$	(149	)

Realized Gain (Loss) on Investments [Table Text Block]

	For the years ended April 30,
	2016			2015
Proceeds	$	1,267		$	7,271
Gross realized gains	$	147		$	571
Gross realized losses	$	(16	)	$	(5	)

Fair Value, by Balance Sheet Grouping [Table Text Block]

Maturities of fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale at April 30, 2016 are as follows (at cost, in thousands):

Current	$	1,101
Due after one year through five years		516
Due after five years through ten years		1,790
	$	3,407

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of available-for-sale securities which includes, but is not limited to, changes in the cost basis and fair value, fair value and gross unrealized gain (loss), fair values by type of security, contractual maturity and classification, amortized cost basis, contracts to acquire securities to be accounted for as available-for-sale, debt maturities, transfers to trading, change in net unrealized holding gain (loss) net of tax, continuous unrealized loss position fair value, aggregate losses qualitative disclosures, other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses or other disclosures related to available for sale securities.

+ References + Details

8. Accrued Liabilities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Schedule of Accrued Liabilities [Table Text Block]

Accrued liabilities at April 30, 2016 and 2015 consist of the following (in thousands):

	2016		2015
Vacation and other compensation	$	1,683	$	1,633
Incentive compensation		677		1,302
Payroll taxes		1,254		1,012
Deferred revenue		640		720
Warranty reserve		617		617
Cost conversion		450		450
Commissions		252		407
Other		535		489
	$	6,108	$	6,630

11. Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Disclosure Text Block Supplement [Abstract]

Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity [Table Text Block]

The following table summarizes information about stock option and stock appreciation rights activity for the years ended April 30:

	Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights
						Weighted Average
				Weighted-		Remaining
				Average		Contractual	Aggregate
	Shares			Exercise Price		Term	Intrinsic Value
Outstanding – April 30, 2014		1,722,625		$	8.60	6.0 years
Granted		145,000			13.02
Exercised		(205,500	)		7.72		$	(1,133,640	)
Expired or Canceled		(59,000	)		14.32
Outstanding – April 30, 2015		1,603,125		$	8.90	5.8 years
Granted		72,000			12.30
Exercised		(19,500	)		9.15		$	(19,110	)
Expired or Canceled		(3,000	)		10.39
Outstanding – April 30, 2016		1,652,625		$	9.05	5.1 years	$	2,704,918
Exercisable		1,313,625		$	8.45	4.3 years	$	2,629,590
Available for future grants		16,336

12. Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Income before Income Tax, Domestic and Foreign [Table Text Block]

The income before provision for income taxes consisted of (in thousands):

	Year Ended April 30,
	2016			2015
U.S.	$	4,011		$	6,201
Foreign		(1,936	)		(1,665	)
	$	2,075		$	4,536

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

The provision for income taxes consists of the following (in thousands):

	2016			2015
Current:
Federal	$	1,060		$	2,170
Foreign		-			-
State		250			260
Current provision		1,310			2,430
Deferred:
Federal		(150	)		(560	)
Foreign		-			-
State		(90	)		(160	)
Deferred benefit		(240	)		(720	)

Total provision	$	1,070		$	1,710

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

The following table reconciles the reported income tax expense with the amount computed using the federal statutory income tax rate (in thousands):

	2016			2015
Statutory Rate	$	705		$	1,542
State and local tax		85			(126	)
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets		833			760
Effect of foreign operations		41			73
Nondeductible expenses		166			112
Domestic production activities deduction		(159	)		(190	)
Nontaxable life insurance cash value increase		(282	)		(119	)
Tax credits		(417	)		(191	)
Other items		98			(151	)
	$	1,070		$	1,710

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

The components of deferred taxes are as follows (in thousands):

	2016			2015
Deferred tax assets:
Employee benefits	$	8,310		$	7,400
Inventory		1,860			1,580
Accounts receivable		490			570
Tax credits		1,260			860
Other assets		220			270
Net operating loss carryforwards		3,600			3,230
Total deferred tax asset		15,740			13,910
Deferred tax liabilities:
Marketable securities		200			270
Property, plant and equipment		750			890
Other liabilities		70			-
Deferred State Income Tax		600			-
Net deferred tax asset		14,120			12,750
Valuation allowance		(3,280	)		(2,390	)
Net deferred tax assets	$	10,840		$	10,360

	2016		2015
Deferred and prepaid income taxes	$	3,138	$	3,000
Deferred income taxes		7,702		7,360
Net deferred tax asset	$	10,840	$	10,360

13. Segment Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]

	2016			2015
Net revenues:
FEI-NY	$	44,238		$	61,905
Gillam-FEI		5,942	**		8,026	**
FEI-Zyfer		12,286			9,215
Less intersegment revenues		(2,072	)**		(2,582	)**
Consolidated revenues	$	60,394		$	76,564

Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]

Operating profit (loss):
FEI-NY	$	1,228		$	4,809
Gillam-FEI		(1,451	)**		(1,706	)**
FEI-Zyfer		1,996			961
Corporate		(471	)		(389	)
Consolidated operating profit	$	1,302		$	3,675

Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated [Table Text Block]

	2016			2015
Identifiable assets:
FEI-NY (approximately $2.5 and $3 million in China)	$	62,992		$	63,541
Gillam-FEI (all in Belgium or France)		9,610			9,878
FEI-Zyfer		13,275			11,088
less intersegment receivables		(7,651	)		(8,775	)
Corporate		41,988			42,093
Consolidated identifiable assets	$	120,214		$	117,825

Reconciliation of Other Significant Reconciling Items from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]

Depreciation and amortization (allocated):
FEI-NY	$	2,338	$	2,562
Gillam-FEI		199		208
FEI-Zyfer		160		159
Corporate		15		15
Consolidated depreciation and amortization expense	$	2,712	$	2,944

Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Table Text Block]

	(in thousands)
	2016		2015
Belgium	$	3,559	$	3,971
France		2,202		10,937
China		1,927		4,493
Israel		1,139		836
Russia		853		638
Germany		342		1,076
Other		1,507		1,610
	$	11,529	$	23,561

14. Product Warranties (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Product Warranties Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Product Warranty Liability [Table Text Block]

Changes in the carrying amount of accrued product warranty costs are as follows (in thousands):

	Year Ended April 30,
	2016			2015
Balance at beginning of year	$	617		$	617
Warranty costs incurred		(322	)		(296	)
Product warranty accrual		322			296
Balance at end of year	$	617		$	617

15. Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Disclosure Text Block Supplement [Abstract]

Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“AOCI”) by component and reclassifications out of AOCI are as follows (in thousands):

	Change in						Foreign
	Market Value						Currency
	of Marketable						Translation
	Securities						Adjustment			Total
Balance April 30, 2014, net of taxes				$	1,016		$	2,998		$	4,014
Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, pretax					519			(1,093	)		(574	)
Tax effect					(176	)		-			(176	)
Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, net of taxes					343			(1,093	)		(750	)
Reclassification adjustments, pretax **		(566	)
Tax effect		192			(374	)		-			(374	)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes					(31	)		(1,093	)		(1,124	)
Balance April 30, 2015, net of taxes					985			1,905			2,890
Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, pretax					(150	)		(753	)		(903	)
Tax effect					51			-			51
Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, net of taxes					(99	)		(753	)		(852	)
Reclassification adjustments, pretax **		(131	)
Tax effect		57			(74	)		-			(74	)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes					(173	)		(753	)		(926	)
Balance April 30, 2016, net of taxes				$	812		$	1,152		$	1,964

**The reclassification adjustments represent net realized gains on the sale or redemption of available-for-sale marketable securities that were reclassified from AOCI to Other income (expense), net.

1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Details)	12 Months Ended
1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Details)	Apr. 30, 2016
Building [Member]
1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	40 years
Certification Marks [Member]
1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	3 years
Minimum [Member] \| Other Depreciable Assets [Member]
1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Maximum [Member] \| Other Depreciable Assets [Member]
1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	10 years

1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Details) - Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Details) - Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Line Items]
Expected volatility	35.00%	35.00%
Dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%
Expected lives	5 years
Minimum [Member]
1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Details) - Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Line Items]
Risk-free interest rate	1.35%	1.50%
Expected lives		5 years
Maximum [Member]
1. Summary of Accounting Policies (Details) - Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Line Items]
Risk-free interest rate	1.50%	2.38%
Expected lives		8 years 6 months

2. Earnings Per Share (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
2. Earnings Per Share (Details) - shares	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Equity Option [Member]
2. Earnings Per Share (Details) [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	388,625	271,500

2. Earnings Per Share (Details) - Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted - shares	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Abstract]
Basic EPS Shares outstanding (weighted average)	8,727,874	8,610,950
Effect of Dilutive Securities	209,035	298,808
Diluted EPS Shares outstanding	8,936,909	8,909,758

3. Costs and Estimated Earnings in Excess of Billings (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
3. Costs and Estimated Earnings in Excess of Billings (Details) [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 60,394,000	$ 76,564,000
Contracts Accounted for under Percentage of Completion [Member]
3. Costs and Estimated Earnings in Excess of Billings (Details) [Line Items]
Revenues	32,500,000	46,800,000
Anticipated Loss on Contracts	$ 450,000	$ 400,000

3. Costs and Estimated Earnings in Excess of Billings (Details) - Costs and Estimated Earnings in Excess of Billings, Net - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Costs and Estimated Earnings in Excess of Billings, Net [Abstract]
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	$ 12,460	$ 14,057
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	(83)	(1,128)
Net asset	$ 12,377	$ 12,929

4. Inventories (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
4. Inventories (Details) [Line Items]
Inventory, Net	$ 41,278	$ 38,239
UNITED STATES
4. Inventories (Details) [Line Items]
Inventory, Net	35,300	32,000
BELGIUM
4. Inventories (Details) [Line Items]
Inventory, Net	5,000	5,400
CHINA
4. Inventories (Details) [Line Items]
Inventory, Net	$ 1,000	$ 800

4. Inventories (Details) - Schedule of Inventory, Current - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Schedule of Inventory, Current [Abstract]
Raw Materials and Component Parts	$ 25,110	$ 24,274
Work in Progress	12,042	9,948
Finished Goods	4,126	4,017
	$ 41,278	$ 38,239

5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details)	12 Months Ended
5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($) ft²	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($)
5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details) [Line Items]
Depreciation	$ 2,660,000	$ 2,828,000
Cost of Property Repairs and Maintenance	611,000	1,017,000
Operating Leases, Rent Expense	1,500,000	1,500,000
Deferred Rent Credit, Noncurrent	214,000	$ 290,000
Long Island, NY Headquarters [Member]
5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense, Minimum Rentals	$ 800,000
Lessee Leasing Arrangements, Operating Leases, Renewal Term	5 years
FEI-Elcom Office and Manufacturing Lease [Member]
5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense, Minimum Rentals	$ 40,000
Area of Real Estate Property (in Square Feet) \| ft²	32,000
FEI-Asia Facility Lease [Member]
5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense, Minimum Rentals	$ 5,000
FEI-Zyfer Office and Manufacturing Leases [Member]
5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense, Minimum Rentals	$ 31,200
Area of Real Estate Property (in Square Feet) \| ft²	27,850
Lessee Leasing Arrangements, Operating Leases, Term of Contract	16 months
Satel-FEI Office Lease [Member]
5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense, Minimum Rentals	$ 1,000
Lessee Leasing Arrangements, Operating Leases, Term of Contract	9 years
Minimum [Member] \| Satel-FEI Office Lease [Member]
5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details) [Line Items]
Lessee Leasing Arrangements, Operating Leases, Term of Contract	3 years

5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details) - Schedule of Property, Plant and Equipment - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Schedule of Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Buildings and building improvements	$ 5,509	$ 5,224
Machinery, equipment and furniture	55,874	52,987
	61,383	58,211
Less, accumulated depreciation	48,311	45,525
	$ 13,072	$ 12,686

5. Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases (Details) - Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases [Abstract]
2017	$ 1,713
2018	1,363
2019	600
Total future minimum lease payments	$ 3,676

6. Marketable Securities (Details) - Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Cost	$ 10,604	$ 10,397
Gross Unrealized Gains	1,095	938
Gross Unrealized Losses	(588)	(149)
Fair Market Value	11,111	11,186
Fixed Income Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Cost	3,407	3,379
Gross Unrealized Gains	121	104
Gross Unrealized Losses	(6)	(16)
Fair Market Value	3,522	3,467
Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Cost	7,197	7,018
Gross Unrealized Gains	974	834
Gross Unrealized Losses	(582)	(133)
Fair Market Value	$ 7,589	$ 7,719

6. Marketable Securities (Details) - Schedule of Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
6. Marketable Securities (Details) - Schedule of Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair Value, Less than 12 months	$ 574	$ 3,419
Unrealized Losses, Less than 12 months	(18)	(134)
Fair Value, Morethan 12 months	2,699	461
Unrealized Losses, More than 12 months	(570)	(15)
Fair Value	3,273	3,880
Unrealized Losses	(588)	(149)
Fixed Income Securities [Member]
6. Marketable Securities (Details) - Schedule of Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair Value, Less than 12 months	0	96
Unrealized Losses, Less than 12 months	0	(1)
Fair Value, Morethan 12 months	467	461
Unrealized Losses, More than 12 months	(6)	(15)
Fair Value	467	557
Unrealized Losses	(6)	(16)
Equity Securities [Member]
6. Marketable Securities (Details) - Schedule of Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair Value, Less than 12 months	574	3,323
Unrealized Losses, Less than 12 months	(18)	(133)
Fair Value, Morethan 12 months	2,232	0
Unrealized Losses, More than 12 months	(564)	0
Fair Value	2,806	3,323
Unrealized Losses	$ (582)	$ (133)

6. Marketable Securities (Details) - Schedule of Realized Gain (Loss) on Investments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Schedule of Realized Gain (Loss) on Investments [Abstract]
Proceeds	$ 1,267	$ 7,271
Gross realized gains	147	571
Gross realized losses	$ (16)	$ (5)

6. Marketable Securities (Details) - Schedule of Fair Value, by Balance Sheet Grouping - Fixed Income Securities [Member] $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Current	$ 1,101
Due after one year through five years	516
Due after five years through ten years	1,790
	$ 3,407

7. Debt Obligations (Details)		12 Months Ended
7. Debt Obligations (Details)	Jun. 06, 2013 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016 EUR (€)
7. Debt Obligations (Details) [Line Items]
Proceeds from Lines of Credit (in Dollars)		$ 0	$ 2,300,000
JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member]
7. Debt Obligations (Details) [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 25,000,000
Proceeds from Lines of Credit (in Dollars)			2,300,000
Repayments of Lines of Credit (in Dollars)			$ 6,400,000
Line of Credit Facility, Borrowing Capacity, Description	Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the amount of Tranche A borrowings may not exceed the value of the Pledged Investments (as defined in the Credit Agreement). The amount of Tranche B borrowings may not exceed the lesser of (i) $15.0 million and (ii) the Borrowing Base (as defined in the Credit Agreement).
Line of Credit Facility, Collateral	The Facility is fully guaranteed by certain of the Company’s subsidiaries and is secured by, among other things, a pledge of substantially all personal property of the Company and certain of the Company’s subsidiaries.
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End		1.1913%	0.9305%	1.1913%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Jun. 05, 2018
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.10%
JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Tranche Two [Member]
7. Debt Obligations (Details) [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 15,000,000
JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Tranche Two [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
7. Debt Obligations (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	1.75%
JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Tranche One [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
7. Debt Obligations (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	0.75%
European Bank [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member]
7. Debt Obligations (Details) [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity \| €				€ 250,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End		0.692%	1.12%	0.692%
Long-term Line of Credit (in Dollars)			$ 0
Debt Instrument, Payment Terms		Borrowings under the bank credit line, if any, must be repaid within one year of receipt of funds
European Bank [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member] \| EURO Interbank Offered Rate [Member]
7. Debt Obligations (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		1.00%
European Bank [Member] \| European Bank [Member]
7. Debt Obligations (Details) [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 275,000
Long-term Line of Credit (in Dollars)		$ 0

8. Accrued Liabilities (Details) - Schedule of Accrued Liabilities - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015	Apr. 30, 2014
Schedule of Accrued Liabilities [Abstract]
Vacation and other compensation	$ 1,683	$ 1,633
Incentive compensation	677	1,302
Payroll taxes	1,254	1,012
Deferred revenue	640	720
Warranty reserve	617	617	$ 617
Cost conversion	450	450
Commissions	252	407
Other	535	489
	$ 6,108	$ 6,630

9. Investment in Morion, Inc. (Details) - Morion Inc [Member] - USD ($)		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 22, 2012	Nov. 30, 2012	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015	Mar. 29, 2016
9. Investment in Morion, Inc. (Details) [Line Items]
Cost Method Investment Ownership Percentage			4.60%
Related Party Transaction, Purchases from Related Party			$ 140,000	$ 201,000
Revenue from Related Parties		$ 375,000	845,000	$ 615,000
Accounts Receivable, Related Parties, Current			33,000
Accounts Payable, Related Parties, Current			37,000
Licensing Agreement [Member]
9. Investment in Morion, Inc. (Details) [Line Items]
Revenue from Related Parties			210,000
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Description	The agreement required the Company to sell certain fully-depreciated production equipment previously owned by the Company and to provide training to Morion employees to enable Morion to produce a minimum of 5,000 rubidium oscillators per year.
License And Equipment Fee Receivable	$ 2,700,000				$ 602,000
Percentage Of Royalties Payable On Third Party Sales	5.00%
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Period	5 years
Purchase Commitment, Remaining Minimum Amount Committed	$ 400,000
License and Services Revenue			$ 392,500

10. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2015	Feb. 29, 2012	Apr. 30, 2004
10. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details) [Line Items]
Amortization of Intangible Assets	$ 73,000
Frequency Electronics Inc Zyfer [Member]
10. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details) [Line Items]
Goodwill			$ 218,000
FEI-Elcom [Member]
10. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details) [Line Items]
Goodwill		$ 398,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill		$ 275,000

11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details)	12 Months Ended
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Apr. 30, 2013 $ / shares shares	Apr. 30, 1990 shares	Apr. 30, 2006 shares	Apr. 30, 2000 shares
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Employee Benefit Plan (in Dollars) \| $	$ 498,000	$ 485,000
Number of Plans	2
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross	72,000	145,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in Dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 12.30	$ 13.02
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period	19,500	205,500
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Share-based Compensation, Net of Forfeitures		58,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant	16,336
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number	1,652,625	1,603,125	1,722,625
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Number	1,313,625
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in Dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 8.45
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized (in Dollars) \| $	$ 1,094,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	2 years 109 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested, Number of Shares	151,500	244,625
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested in Period, Fair Value (in Dollars) \| $	$ 661,000	$ 1,053,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (in Dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 4.06	$ 4.45
Employee Benefits and Share-based Compensation (in Dollars) \| $	$ 1,450,000	$ 1,516,000
Share-based Compensation (in Dollars) \| $	$ 824,000	$ 1,077,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in Dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 9.05	$ 8.90	$ 8.60
Employees [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period		38,000
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Share-based Compensation, Net of Forfeitures		6,931
Employee Stock Option [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period	4 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period	5 years
Employee Benefits and Share-based Compensation (in Dollars) \| $	$ 265,000	$ 394,000
Share-based Compensation (in Dollars) \| $	559,000	683,000
Deferred Tax Expense from Stock Options Exercised (in Dollars) \| $	$ 141,000	$ 200,000
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period	10 years
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member] \| Employees and Directors [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross	2,021,000	1,950,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period	19,500	147,500
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Share-based Compensation, Net of Forfeitures	5,736	70,675
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant	13,764	76,825
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number	1,653,000	1,603,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Number	1,314,000	1,131,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in Dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 8.45	$ 8.27
United States Post-Retirement Benefit Plan of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Employee Benefit Plan	46,743	40,324
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Employee Benefit Plan (in Dollars) \| $	$ 498,000	$ 485,000
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Share-based Compensation, Employee Stock Purchase Program, Requisite Service Period Recognition (in Dollars) \| $	$ 283,000	$ 302,000
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	790,136	467,975
Income Incentive Pool [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Accrued Bonuses (in Dollars) \| $	$ 700,000	$ 1,300,000
Nonqualified Stock Options [Member] \| Immediate Family Member of Management or Principal Owner [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross			37,500
Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in Dollars per share) \| $ / shares			$ 6.67
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period		20,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercise Price (in Dollars per share) \| $ / shares		$ 6.67
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Share-based Compensation, Net of Forfeitures		8,638
Incentive Stock Options [Member] \| Employee Stock Option [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross		172,500
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period		57,000
Incentive Stock Options [Member] \| Employee Stock Option [Member] \| Options at $13.15 [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross		95,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in Dollars per share) \| $ / shares		$ 13.15
ISO and NQSO [Member] \| Employee Stock Option [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Share-based Compensation, Net of Forfeitures		15,569
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant		42,431
Independent Contractor Stock Option Plan [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number		30,000
Share-based Compensation (in Dollars) \| $		$ 0
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized					350,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in Dollars per share) \| $ / shares		$ 14.76
Restricted Stock Plan [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercise Price (in Dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 4.00	$ 4.00
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant	7,500	7,500		375,000
Employee Stock Ownership Plan [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Shares Contributed to ESOP				561,652
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Additional Shares Authorized				510,000
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Number of Allocated Shares						1,071,652
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Shares in ESOP		385,626
Deferred Compensation Agreement [Member]
11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Description		Under these agreements, each key employee receives specified retirement payments for the remainder of the employee's life with a minimum payment of ten years' benefits to either the employee or his beneficiaries. The agreements also provide for lump sum payments upon termination of employment without cause and reduced benefits upon early retirement.
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Compensation Expense (in Dollars) \| $	$ 959,000	$ 1,038,000

11. Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015	Apr. 30, 2014
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity [Abstract]
Options, Shares Outstanding	1,603,125		1,722,625
Options, Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in Dollars per share)	$ 8.90		$ 8.60
Options, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	5 years 36 days	5 years 292 days	6 years
Exercisable	1,313,625
Exercisable (in Dollars per share)	$ 8.45
Exercisable	4 years 109 days
Exercisable (in Dollars)	$ 2,629,590
Available for future grants	16,336
Options, Shares Granted	72,000	145,000
Options, Weighted-Average Exercise Price Granted (in Dollars per share)	$ 12.30	$ 13.02
Options, Shares Exercised	(19,500)	(205,500)
Options, Weighted-Average Exercise Price Exercised (in Dollars per share)	$ 9.15	$ 7.72
(in Dollars)	$ (19,110)	$ (1,133,640)
Options, Shares Expired or Canceled	(3,000)	(59,000)
Options, Weighted-Average Exercise Price Expired or Canceled (in Dollars per share)	$ 10.39	$ 14.32
Options, Shares Outstanding	1,652,625	1,603,125
Options, Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in Dollars per share)	$ 9.05	$ 8.90
Options, Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in Dollars)	$ 2,704,918

12. Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
12. Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent	$ 3,280,000	$ 2,390,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance	10,840,000	10,360,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	0	0
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued	$ 0	0
Minimum [Member]
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Year	2023
Maximum [Member]
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Year	2031
Valuation Allowance of Deferred Tax Assets [Member]
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Period Increase (Decrease)	$ 890,000	270,000
Foreign Tax Authority [Member]
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards		6,400,000
Foreign Tax Authority [Member] \| Research Tax Credit Carryforward [Member]
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount	425,000
Foreign Tax Authority [Member] \| Valuation Allowance of Deferred Tax Assets [Member]
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Period Increase (Decrease)	830,000	(490,000)
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] \| Investment Tax Credit Carryforward [Member]
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount	838,000
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] \| Valuation Allowance of Deferred Tax Assets [Member]
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Period Increase (Decrease)	$ 60,000
Domestic Tax Authority [Member]
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards		$ 4,400,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Limitations on Use		$4.4 million which may be applied in annually limited amounts to offset future U.S.-sourced taxable income over the next 15 years
Domestic Tax Authority [Member] \| Valuation Allowance of Deferred Tax Assets [Member]
12. Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Period Increase (Decrease)		$ 760,000

12. Income Taxes (Details) - Schedule of Income before Income Tax, Domestic and Foreign - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Schedule of Income before Income Tax, Domestic and Foreign [Abstract]
U.S.	$ 4,011	$ 6,201
Foreign	(1,936)	(1,665)
	$ 2,075	$ 4,536

12. Income Taxes (Details) - Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Current:
Federal	$ 1,060	$ 2,170
Foreign	0	0
State	250	260
Current provision	1,310	2,430
Deferred:
Federal	(150)	(560)
Foreign	0	0
State	(90)	(160)
Deferred benefit	(240)	(720)
Total provision	$ 1,070	$ 1,710

12. Income Taxes (Details) - Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Abstract]
Statutory Rate	$ 705	$ 1,542
State and local tax	85	(126)
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets	833	760
Effect of foreign operations	41	73
Nondeductible expenses	166	112
Domestic production activities deduction	(159)	(190)
Nontaxable life insurance cash value increase	(282)	(119)
Tax credits	(417)	(191)
Other items	98	(151)
	$ 1,070	$ 1,710

12. Income Taxes (Details) - Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Deferred tax assets:
Employee benefits	$ 8,310	$ 7,400
Inventory	1,860	1,580
Accounts receivable	490	570
Tax credits	1,260	860
Other assets	220	270
Net operating loss carryforwards	3,600	3,230
Total deferred tax asset	15,740	13,910
Deferred tax liabilities:
Marketable securities	200	270
Property, plant and equipment	750	890
Other liabilities	70	0
Deferred State Income Tax	600	0
Net deferred tax asset	14,120	12,750
Valuation allowance	(3,280)	(2,390)
Net deferred tax assets	10,840	10,360
Deferred and prepaid income taxes	3,138	3,000
Deferred income taxes	7,702	7,360
Net deferred tax asset	$ 10,840	$ 10,360

13. Segment Information (Details)	12 Months Ended
13. Segment Information (Details)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($)
13. Segment Information (Details) [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments	3
Number of Operating Segments	3
Frequency Electronics Inc New York [Member]
13. Segment Information (Details) [Line Items]
Number Of Principal Markets	3
Intersegment Sales [Member] \| Gillam Frequency Electronics Inc [Member]
13. Segment Information (Details) [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Goods, Gross (in Dollars)	$ 847,000	$ 1,500,000
U.S. Government and U.S. Government Subcontractors [Member] \| Sales Revenue, Net [Member] \| Customer Concentration Risk [Member]
13. Segment Information (Details) [Line Items]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	60.00%	47.00%
Two Customers [Member] \| Sales Revenue, Net [Member] \| Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Frequency Electronics Inc New York [Member]
13. Segment Information (Details) [Line Items]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	69.00%
Revenue, Net (in Dollars)	$ 30,700,000
Three Customers [Member] \| Sales Revenue, Net [Member] \| Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Frequency Electronics Inc New York [Member]
13. Segment Information (Details) [Line Items]
Concentration Risk, Percentage		53.00%
Revenue, Net (in Dollars)		$ 33,100,000

13. Segment Information (Details) - Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Apr. 30, 2015

Net revenues:

Revenues

$ 60,394

$ 76,564

Frequency Electronics Inc New York [Member]

Net revenues:

Revenues

44,238

61,905

Gillam Frequency Electronics Inc [Member]

Net revenues:

Revenues

^[1]

5,942

8,026

Frequency Electronics Inc Zyfer [Member]

Net revenues:

Revenues

12,286

9,215

Inter Segment [Member]

Net revenues:

Revenues

^[1]

$ (2,072)

$ (2,582)

[1]

For fiscal years ended April 30, 2016 and 2015, includes Gillam-FEI intersegment sales of $847,000 and $1.5 million, respectively, to the FEI-NY and FEI-Zyfer segments. Such sales consist principally of design and development of automatic test equipment for satellite hardware production and manufacture of assemblies and units of a wireline synchronization product for ultimate production and sale in the U.S. In the Gillam-FEI segment, these transactions reduced the operating loss in each of the fiscal years.

13. Segment Information (Details) - Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Apr. 30, 2015

Operating profit (loss):

Operating profit (loss)

$ 1,302

$ 3,675

Frequency Electronics Inc New York [Member]

Operating profit (loss):

Operating profit (loss)

1,228

4,809

Gillam Frequency Electronics Inc [Member]

Operating profit (loss):

Operating profit (loss)

^[1]

(1,451)

(1,706)

Frequency Electronics Inc Zyfer [Member]

Operating profit (loss):

Operating profit (loss)

1,996

961

Corporate Segment [Member]

Operating profit (loss):

Operating profit (loss)

$ (471)

$ (389)

[1]

13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Identifiable assets:
Identifiable Assets	$ 120,214	$ 117,825
Frequency Electronics Inc New York [Member]
Identifiable assets:
Identifiable Assets	62,992	63,541
Gillam Frequency Electronics Inc [Member]
Identifiable assets:
Identifiable Assets	9,610	9,878
Frequency Electronics Inc Zyfer [Member]
Identifiable assets:
Identifiable Assets	13,275	11,088
Inter Segment [Member]
Identifiable assets:
Identifiable Assets	(7,651)	(8,775)
Corporate Segment [Member]
Identifiable assets:
Identifiable Assets	$ 41,988	$ 42,093

13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated (Parentheticals) - CNY (¥) ¥ in Millions	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Frequency Electronics Inc New York [Member]
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Identifiable assets in China	¥ 2.5	¥ 3.0

13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Reconciliation of Depreciation and Amortization from Segment to Consolidated - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Depreciation and amortization (allocated):
Depreciation and Amortization	$ 2,712	$ 2,944
Frequency Electronics Inc New York [Member]
Depreciation and amortization (allocated):
Depreciation and Amortization	2,338	2,562
Gillam Frequency Electronics Inc [Member]
Depreciation and amortization (allocated):
Depreciation and Amortization	199	208
Frequency Electronics Inc Zyfer [Member]
Depreciation and amortization (allocated):
Depreciation and Amortization	160	159
Corporate Segment [Member]
Depreciation and amortization (allocated):
Depreciation and Amortization	$ 15	$ 15

13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 60,394	$ 76,564
BELGIUM
13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Line Items]
Revenues	3,559	3,971
FRANCE
13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Line Items]
Revenues	2,202	10,937
CHINA
13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Line Items]
Revenues	1,927	4,493
ISRAEL
13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Line Items]
Revenues	1,139	836
Russia [Member]
13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Line Items]
Revenues	853	638
GERMANY
13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Line Items]
Revenues	342	1,076
Other Countries [Member]
13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Line Items]
Revenues	1,507	1,610
Foreign Revenue [Member]
13. Segment Information (Details) - Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 11,529	$ 23,561

14. Product Warranties (Details)	12 Months Ended
14. Product Warranties (Details)	Apr. 30, 2016
Product Warranties Disclosures [Abstract]
Standard Product Warranty Description	The Company generally provides its customers with a one-year warranty regarding the manufactured quality and functionality of its products. For some limited products, the warranty period has been extended.

14. Product Warranties (Details) - Schedule of Product Warranty Liability - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Schedule of Product Warranty Liability [Abstract]
Balance at beginning of year	$ 617	$ 617
Warranty costs incurred	(322)	(296)
Product warranty accrual	322	296
Balance at end of year	$ 617	$ 617

15. Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Apr. 30, 2015

Apr. 30, 2014

Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Abstract]

Balance, Change in Market Value of Marketable Securities

$ 812

$ 985

$ 1,016

Balance, Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment

1,152

1,905

2,998

Balance, Total

1,964

2,890

$ 4,014

Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, pretax, Change in Market Value of Marketable Securities

(150)

519

Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, pretax, Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment

(753)

(1,093)

Items of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification, pretax, Total

(903)

(574)

Tax effect - Change in Market Value of Marketable Securities

(176)

Tax effect - Foreign Currency Transalation Adjustment

Tax effect - Total

(176)

Items of other comprehensive income (loss)before reclassification, net of taxes, Market Value of Marketable Securities

(99)

343

Items of other comprehensive income (loss)before reclassification, net of taxes, Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment

(753)

(1,093)

Items of other comprehensive income (loss)before reclassification, net of taxes, Total

(852)

(750)

Reclassification adjustments, pretax - Marketable Securities

^[1]

(131)

(566)

Tax - Marketable Securities

192

Tax effect - Change in Market Value of Marketable Securities

(74)

(374)

Tax effect - Total

(74)

(374)

Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes, Marketable Securities

(173)

(31)

Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes, Foreign Currency Transalation Adjustment

(753)

(1,093)

Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes, Total

$ (926)

$ (1,124)

[1]	The reclassification adjustments represent net realized gains on the sale or redemption of available-for-sale marketable securities that were reclassified from AOCI to Other income (expense), net.