Air Pilots' Guild of Australia (APGA) was formed in 1968 by Ian Archibald Cameron, a former member of the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP), and registered under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act on 3 February 1970. The AFAP were against this rival union from the outset and throughout the 1970s made attempts to have the Guild (APGA) de-registered. Throughout the 1970s the Guild struggled to maintain the membership numbers required to remain a registered union, it also had difficulties collecting membership subscriptions which meant that they had very little funds. Compounding the difficulties were the numerous cases brought against the Guild by other organisations which were heard by the Flight Crew Officer's Tribunal. A final case brought against the Guild by David George Shrubb (acting as himself but also representing the AFAP) went to the Federal Court. Despite the efforts of the Guild's Industrial Officer, Frank Stevens, to put the case for the Guild, the outcome was its de-registration. Cameron attempted to get this decision overturned, but was unsuccessful. The AFAP finally registered in 1986.