The observation is a simple one, but it points to one of the more remarkable engineering stories in commercial aviation: the Boeing 777's engines are, quite literally, in a class by themselves. The GE90-115B, which powers the 777-300ER and 777-200LR, holds the record as the largest and most powerful commercial jet engine ever certified, with a fan diameter of roughly 128 inches (nearly 11 feet) and a maximum thrust rating north of 115,000 pounds. That fan is wider than the fuselage of a Boeing 737. Depending on variant, 777s are also equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4000s or Rolls-Royce Trent 800s, both of which are themselves oversized relative to nearly anything else in service, but the GE90 in particular dwarfs the powerplants pilots see on narrowbody or even most other widebody types.
For working pilots, especially those transitioning from narrowbody or midsize widebody fleets, the sheer scale of these engines has real operational implications beyond aesthetics. Ground clearance and ramp awareness become more critical during taxi and pushback, since the nacelles hang lower and extend farther outboard than pilots may be used to. FOD (foreign object debris) ingestion risk is a heightened concern given the fan's enormous capture area, which is part of why ramp discipline and pre-flight walk-arounds carry extra weight on 777 operations. Ground crews and pilots alike also need to account for the engines' proximity to the pavement during steep-bank taxi turns and on contaminated or uneven surfaces, where tail strikes aren't the only geometry concern—engine strikes on curbs, snowbanks, or ground equipment are a real risk with this much overhang.
The size of the GE90 is not incidental; it's a direct consequence of the high-bypass-ratio design philosophy that has reshaped commercial aviation over the past three decades. A larger fan diameter allows more air to bypass the engine core, dramatically improving propulsive efficiency and fuel burn while reducing noise footprint—both of which matter enormously to airline economics and to noise-sensitive airports like Vancouver. This same bypass-ratio arms race is why engines on the 787 (GEnx), A350 (Trent XWB), and even next-generation narrowbody engines like the LEAP and PW1000G GTF have all grown visibly larger relative to their airframes compared to their predecessors. Pilots who've flown both older and newer generations of aircraft often remark on how much more nacelle diameter now dominates the visual profile of an airplane on approach or at the gate.
There's also a broader industry trend embedded in this anecdote: the retirement of four-engine widebodies like the 747 and A340 in favor of twins like the 777 and A350 was made possible precisely because engines like the GE90 could deliver the thrust and reliability margins needed for ETOPS certification on long-haul, extended-range routes. A single GE90 produces more thrust than some early four-engine jets managed with all four powerplants combined. That capability underpins the economics of ultra-long-haul routes now flown routinely by 777s and 777Xs, and it's a big part of why the "buttering the landing" moment described in the article—watching those enormous nacelles settle smoothly onto the runway—has become such a recognizable and almost iconic sight for pilots and spotters alike at major international gateways like Vancouver.