In Word, most users should be familiar with entry of characters that aren't on the keyboard by
1. Turning on NumPad.
2. Holding down Alt while
3. Typing the decimal code for the character on the Number Pad.
Unfortunately, this only works for characters with decimal codes in the ASCII/ANSI range and thus for numbers less than 256 in older Word versions. More recent versions appear to be able to insert some "higher numbered characters" with the Alt+NumPad method; but so far as I've found Microsoft has not published any documentation indicating what may work, so trial and error is the only way to see what your version will do.

On my Vista computer, with Office 2007 Business version, the decimal code 9992 gives me an "airplane" in a Word document, using AltNumpad 9992.

✈

In Word you can also use the hexadecimal character number for any number in the full UNICODE character definition by typing the hex code and with the cursor left immediately on the right of the last character hit Alt+X to convert what you typed to the Unicode character glyph. Some "basic" versions may not have this feature, but any "full version" of Word since Win98 times should have it.

The Alt+X switch is a toggle, so you can also "read" the hex char value for any legal Unicode character that you can copy and paste into Word, by putting your cursor next to the character (on the right) and hitting Alt+X to convert it to its hex code number. With the hex code, you can consult the Unicode standard to find out what to call it.

Note that unlike most "toggles" you don't highlight the hex number you want to convert. You place the cursor immediately after the code and then hold down Alt while pressing X.

In Word, you can use the hex number F1 by typing the characters F and 1 and immediately Alt-X to get an n-tilde, then format to Webdings to get the slanting airplane from Webdings. The necessity of formatting to the Webdings typeface indicates that Webdings is a "phony font" that Microsoft has provided to allow using code numbers (mostly defined by Unicode as other characters) to print "alternate pictures" into Word. The use of "alternate font pages" is well known and well documented, except for any useful indication (at least in Microsoft programs) of which "pages" are real Unicode chars and which are "something else."

Also in Word, you can get the "straight on" airplane mentioned by several above by typing 2708 - the hexadecimal character value corresponding to the decimal 9992 - and using Alt-X to convert it to the glyph.

In html, you can use either the hex number or the decimal number for a Unicode character :

Using hex: ✈ gives ✈

and:

Using decimal code: ✈ gives ✈

Note the "x" that's added to the code when using the hex number and omitted when using the decimal number.

John