You know there is something wrong with the regulations just by looking at the "definitions". For example I was confused by 61.150(2)(a)(i) as to why a flight examiner cannot issue an aircraft category rating on a license. So looked on p. 69 to see what is meant by rating and find:
"rating means a flight crew rating" ….So what has that just told us? Well nothing actually. So I look for 'category rating' in the definition and there is only 'category of aircraft: see regulation 61.015.' Since when does a definition point you to the body of the regulations? Why is a definition is in the body and not in the definition?
Ok, so lets go to 61.015 and we find a category is aeroplane, helicopter, powered-lift etc. Ok, seems simple enough. But wait there's more. 61.020 defines class, and that is single-engine aeroplane, multi-engine aeroplane, single engine helicopter etc. So now I am confused. Surely a class would be single-engine, multi-engine. Then you could have a license (say pilot), a category (say aeroplane) and a class (say multi). But what I find is a category (aeroplane, helicopter) and a class (single-aeroplane, multi-aeroplane, single helicopter...). Does that mean I can have a category (aeroplane) and a class (single-engine helicopter)? Perhaps there is some sense in the way they have done it, but it isn't explained anywhere, and it is complicated and confusing.