If you already have a multi commercial certificate, can you get a single commercial certificate using a non-complex aircraft, say a 172 (including for the check ride)?

Yes, you may.
I had a student do it in a Citabria, getting a Tailwheel endorsement at the same time.(No Dir. Gyro, just outside references...)

Sure can. I did my CMEL in a PA-44 and my CSEL in a 172.

Awesome - thanks guys!

Definitely can. This is starting to be more common because virtually all twins are complex and there aren't many complex single engine trainers being manufactured these days, so you can kill two birds with one stone by doing the multi and the complex at the same time. Then just use a 172 or Archer since those are a dime a dozen.

Are the same maneuvers done in the twin versus the single?

http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/...S-8081-12C.pdf

Try around page 21.

Yes you can... its what I did. I did my multi-engine commercial ride first and used a Tecnam twin, then a week later I did my commercial single in a 172SP.

Since the single-engine is essentially an add-on to your already existing commercial rating, the check ride should be no longer than *maybe* an hour of ground and *maybe* an hour of flight. For mine, we went out and did a couple stalls, steep turns, chandelle, lazy 8, steep spiral, and 8's on pylons and came back in for a power off 180 landing and that was it. I think it was like .6 on the hobbs.

And on the ground all we covered were the differences in single-engine and multi-engine systems and a couple more holding out questions that my DPE didn't cover the first time around. Eazy peazy lemon squeezy.