The "8 Player" mode on the startup screen (instead of OFFLINE or ONLINE) is the "Free Multiplayer".
You can play LAN game (within your own LAN) or INTERNET GAME, which is rooms that are player hosted (host can choose/decide on settings, so they might not be "default MA setup") and accessible worldwide. The rooms can have maximum 8 players, skins and squads are not supported in game.
Check the "Free Multiplayer Forum" a little down from this one for the freeloaders community. The Training Arena (as well as all "official" training) is an ONLINE arena and youll only have access during your free trial or when subscribed. But there are a lot of good pilots in H2H (= Head to Head = Free Multiplayer = 8 Player Mode) that offer help as well.