Special issue on global flow instability and control

This special issue is the second on the topic of "Global Flow Instability and Control," following the first in 2011. As with the previous special issue, the participants of the last two symposia on Global Flow Instability and Control, held in Crete, Greece, were invited to submit publications. These papers were peer reviewed according to the standards of the journal, and this issue represents a snapshot of the progress since 2011. In this preface, a sampling of important developments in the field since the first issue is discussed. A synopsis of the papers in this issue is given in that context.