How to keep a "co-pilot arc" running when using an arc gap?

[FPS]

I'm not even sure what to call it but I've gone with co-pilot arc, but ones shown here:

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How is this wired? I assume it's to keep the transformer under load so it doesn't internally arc.

[DashApple]

This would be a safety gap, The idea is the smaller gap is wired across the transformer so when the drawn out arc breaks it will bridge the smaller gap, this is to stop open circuit overvoltage by clamping it with an arc, the gap distance is set so that it will stike on its own at a voltge the transformer can handle once the main arc is borken.

When you short the mian gap the voltage drops so the safety gap goes out and as you start to draw an arc the current will flow through the new arc and the safelty gap will remain open as the voltage would be dropped over the main arc untill its borken and the voltage rises and bridges the safety gap so they dont run at the same time.

[FPS]

Ok, thankyou. So it really is just as simple as 2 gaps in parallel, I guess I was expecting resistance to be involved to favour the longer gap more.